Know Your Worth
by bluebloodstar
Summary: This is not her first attempt at life, but it is her first in a world that isn't supposed to exist. It doesn't matter much though, because Luffy has never been one for fate. She'll rewrite her future the way she likes it, she's worth much more than what people think. (SI-fem!Luffy. Different DF. AU)
1. prologue

**Know Your Worth  
**_prologue_

* * *

She remembers it vividly, still on this day. (Someone could say she's lifetimes away from that event, but to her mind it feels like only a few years have passed.) She knows the children at the village don't like her and the Mayor, for some reason she doesn't comprehend (she blames her grandfather's genes and his hard fists that somehow are always finding a way to bump on her head), glares at her like she's the devil's spawn.

She doesn't care much, life has never been easy for her; she glances down from her place on her grandfather's shoulder. He's whistling a happy tune, his rough hands set on her knees to make sure she doesn't fall off. Again.

He's a strange man, that much she can say. She has never met anyone like him and she thinks she wouldn't have loathed his presence in the past either; he's prideful and super busy with his work (she still doesn't know what his job is, but he always leaves on a ship when he can't stay with her), but he tries for her. It's her fourth birthday today and he made sure to take the week off from work, so she's happy.

The other kids from the village don't like her. The boys won't hang out with her because she's a girl (something that makes her want to slam her head on the nearest walls, because really?) and the girls think she's too rowdy. And yes, the nice bartender from a few doors over is always there if she needs her, but she misses that type of unlimited affection that comes with a parental figure. Her Grandpa is never _really_ there, just enough for her to consider him important.

This new existence came to her with a strange environment and an even stranger body. She's way too strong for a toddler and most times she ends up hurting the other children from town without wanting to. She's a glutton, and it's weird 'cause she remembers never being a fan of too much food. She's used to having a fine appetite, only usually eating only enough to keep her on her two feet and _not_ crash down dead. She's only four now, but she can already eat more than a grown man; the nice bartender isn't the best cook, and her Grandpa is even worse, but she's always _hungry hungry hungry_ and so she leaves it be.

She remembers her preference for movies, but they're not available here and so she resorts to reading. It turns out, the nice bartender is so nice that she actually sits down with her to help her when the pub isn't crowded. That's more often than not, the village isn't as big as they all think it is and clients are sporadic at best. She knows there's a kingdom on the other side of the island, but no one is brave enough to climb their way through the tall forest dividing the Windmill Village from the more, expensive civilization.

It's a curious world, the one she's ended up in. Starting from the very own trees her Grandpa sometimes gets lost looking at, or the serpentine-like sea monster that lives at the coast. It's strange because her Grandpa is huge, bigger than most men she has met in the past. And he can eat a lot too, just like her, and sometimes he falls asleep while doing so. He has called it narcolepsy, but she knows it should be a bit more serious than him casually falling asleep in the middle of drinking a beer. If it's that, shouldn't he have way less muscle mass? And there are no automatic episodes whenever he falls asleep, and, anyway, that's supposed to be genetic. Is she gonna have it to? She doesn't like the idea of sleeping while doing something important, much less in a world as unusual as this one.

She never tells him anything along those lines, though. Because she's four, and even if she's smarter than the average person, she _still_ shouldn't know that much about a neurological disorder she supposedly had no idea about before. And she especially shouldn't use the word neurological before him. Plus, while her Grandpa is a funny person, she doesn't trust him. She's still pretty much confused about the happenings of four years ago, even with her developed mind and head full of past experiences, but she's slowly starting to put the pieces together. For the time being, though, she decides she'll live her life like she always has. Her brain is still slowly but surely organizing her many past memories and she needs an actual pastime 'lest she wants to go crazy.

She doesn't feel guilty about it.

Playing with people's heads is something she has always enjoyed; it came from being one of those that were _different_. Being called special for years, she started seeing herself as effectively exceptional. She's distinctive, way smarter than anyone else, and she gets bored easily… what's to stop her from finding her own amusement in others? She believes it's a bit like going to the town circus. With the difference that she doesn't have to pay to see an animal running in circles on itself, she simply has to blink her big, brown eyes in another's direction.

"What are you thinking about?" her Grandpa squeezes her knee and she looks down to him, her back bending weirdly so that she can see his dark eyes. She's starting to put the pieces together, of who she really is and the importance she holds in this world, but she's not sure she likes it. Don't get her wrong, because she enjoys the attention. It reminds her of the past and she's always been a bit adventurous anyways, but what great feat would it be if she followed everything to the dot?

She's going to lead her own life though, because she always does what she wants and there's no one who can stop her. She sends him a blinding smile, the same one she knows makes her eyes shine and her grandfather's heart swell; she should feel remorseful, because she's deceiving him while, no questions asked, he has tried so hard for her in the past years.

But the thing is, that she doesn't. So she shrugs, her tanned shoulders bobbing up and down in a way she knows makes her look cute. "When will you take me out to sea with you?" her voice is whiny and her rosy lips are in a petulant pout. The man looks at her and she can see the change in his expression, but it settles back into that same bedazzling grin she was gifted with.

If she was a different person, she wouldn't have caught it. But she's not, because she's smart and manipulative and her past is filled with emotional games and different masks. Her future will be the same, because she's never been prone to change anyway.

The look he had in his eyes unsettles her though, because for a moment it seems like he was seeing right through her tricks, through her. His smile yet is sweet and something she knows he saves for her and _only her_. She likes that, because she's possessive over her people. She's possessive over everything she likes and she has never been afraid to show it.

She's not prone to change but she's changed, she's not completely herself anymore. Her own essence is slowly being reshaped, to fit in a world where she's not supposed to be. She doesn't mind it as much as she should, because the power that fills her veins is gets stronger as the days pass.

* * *

(The man is _hers_, just as the nice bartender is. She protects what it's hers and she's the only one who can destroy them. She won't let others near _them_ because they're hers and if they have to perish it'll be by _her_ hands only, not some pesky little pirate or a worms-for-brain mountain bandit.)

* * *

At night, when her grandfather is out to sea for work and the nice bartender sleeps in her own home, she dreams of the past.

She dreams of the parents that never appreciated her enough, of the teachers who doted on her and defended her blindly with the promise of money. She dreams of days and nights spent awake, of blood and bruises, of the freedom she would feel only when her feet met the tartan pavement. She dreams a lot, but as soon as she wakes up the sound of the cars roaring over a bridge becomes nothing but a distant memory, and her chest doesn't hurt as much anymore.

The taste of mud stays on her tongue, though, and so she heads off the pub so that she can drink a glass of pear juice.

Makino would look at her, a gentle smile on her face. "Good morning," she says, and the little girl barely spares her a glance as she downs the glass expertedly. It's a fun sight, of that she's sure, and adults probably think she's imitating her Grandpa or one of the other tenors of the inn. Minutes pass before she's awake enough, sufficiently conscious for words to escape with lips without being harmful. "Makino, do you have some cucumbers?" she would ask and the day would proceed as always.

She doesn't blame anyone for the way she turned out. It would be ignorant of her, and if there's something she has always prided herself in it is how open-minded and intelligent she is. She doesn't show it as much in this life, and she thinks it's simply because she's in a child body still. She's manipulative and an insane bitch on most days, but she's not angry about it.

She likes it and people rarely dismiss her, because she has that air around her that is just _so_ charming. She's gifted with the most dangerous ability in the world and she owns it freely, with well-thought words and a perfectly built mask always on her face.

No one notices, apart from her grandfather, and so she doesn't worry much because she knows he would give his life for her.

* * *

She's five and a half and she hasn't seen her Gramps in a while. He's been relocated to another sea and it's ok, because she knows the pirates are soon going to dock at her village's port.

He's a nice looking man and she grumbles, because she wishes she was older. It's hard getting used to being a kid all over again, especially for her who was so confident in her own skin. She knows she still has her same features from the past, her big brown eyes shadowed by long eyelashes as black as her short hair. She knows how she'll look, how her life will most-likely go, but the sight of copper hair still makes her sigh and groan.

He crouches before her and a soft dimple appears as he grins at her and she thinks she might swoon. "Hi, d'you know a place where we could have a bite to eat?" His voice is smooth, almost honey-like and she wonders if all the people she will meet in this life are like him.

She nods at him, her wavy hair fluttering around in the wind, and grips his hand as she leads him to her nice bartender's inn. She ignores the scared look on the Mayor's face and the glare he attempts to send her way, because he's nothing to her. He's below her, just as all the other people in this place.

(The man whose hand she's gripping tightly isn't though, because he feels like power and freedom. He feels like her and she _adores_ it.)

"What's your name?" he asks as he stumbles behind her, trying not to step on her tiny feet. She admires the way he's being with her, because even if she knows _of_ him, actually meeting him is a completely different thing. He's nice and gentle, nothing like the rowdy pirate her memories pictured for her.

She wonders if it's because she's a female, or maybe because she's nothing like what she's supposed to be in this life. She dismisses the thought, because it's not like an outcome to her questions would change anything.

She grins at him, her tanned skin colouring pink on her cheeks and her big eyes wide.

"I'm Luffy, nice to meet ya!"

* * *

**Kind of, Sorta, Most-Likely, Self-Insert? Oc insert? Yes, let's call it that. Updated, hopefully better, version of the prologue of KYW! This is gonna be an AU, quite a bit canon divergent if I succeed with it, but also... you know basic canon events will be there 'cause how is she gonna pick up the Strawhats? But yes, still working on the deets but if you're interested I'll be sure to have the first chapter out soon enough :)! Hope your quarantine is going well (mine is involving way less - meaning none - studying than it should and way too much other things) and that you're interested by this ! Please review as I'm really interested in your opinions and feel free to drop some suggestions :)))**


	2. chapter 1

**Know Your Worth  
**_chapter one_

* * *

Red Haired Shanks is all that she has ever imagined. He's also nothing like what she remembers from her past life.

He's tall and well built, his copper hair a few shades lighter than what they were supposed to be. Luffy thinks they make him realer, the orange locks surrounding his tanned face. She wonders if they were _actually_ of that scarlet red she remembers once, years before the constant exposure to the sun and the sea salt bleached them to the nice shade he has now. It's a bit annoying, how even with his childish demeanor and the constant smell of strong alcohol and sea (_freedom_, she corrects herself), he's still able to easily be the most good-looking man she has ever seen. A straight nose, light stubble on his chin and eyes so grey that they seem inhuman when the light shines on them, Luffy can't help but be mesmerized by him.

He's blabbering away, recounting a story about his adventures. Luffy notices how he's keeping it PG and while she's no child inside, she still appreciates the kindness in that. She doesn't know _how_ they ended up like this.

It's been a few months since the crew of pirates first set foot into Foosha's port and from that point on they have been leaving and coming, using the little Village as a base for East Blue. His stories are good and they make something move inside of her, the prospect of freedom and adventure and happiness leading her thoughts away from what he's actually talking about.

Luffy is not sure if she wants to be a pirate. She's not sure if she wants to be something _more_ than civilian, to be honest, because no matter what if she strays from that safe path she'll be surrounded by danger. Being a marine is out of the question though; she's a born leader, has always been, and the idea of working under someone makes her chest constrict and her breath come out ragged. Plus, she doesn't like rules and marines have _way_ too many of them.

And, let's be honest, it would simply be a way for the government to control her. Daughter of the leader of Revolutionaries, even if he still hasn't gained the infamous reputation, she'll be probably controlled twenty-four seven. So nah, the Marine Corps are out.

(Luffy knows they were _never_ in to begin with, but still feeding the idea a bit of thought isn't exactly wrong. It unsettles her and makes her feel more stupid than she _isn't_, but if anything she'll be able to look her Grandpa in the eyes and tell him she has weighted her options.)

Then came the other options.

Being a Revolutionary, however virtuous, would still mean she's working under someone. Her father, yes, but it's not like they have anything more than blood linking them. It's different with Garp. While her stupid, even if sweet, grandfather tries to be there for her, often taking weeks off from work to come see her, she's pretty sure she has never met her father. Not that she remembers it. She probably did, when she was an infant and being given to her Grandpa, but she has no recollection of that and so it never happened in her eyes.

And, anyway, in what world are complete strangers _supposed_ to be more important than your own daughter? She could appreciate the drive he has for his dream, but if following her dream meant completely discarding what was hers she would never do it. Luffy knows she has a bad conception of property, she _knows_ that her Revolutionary father would probably not applaud how she sees people as either hers or expendable, being a preacher of just and freedom and overall, a perfect socialism. But still, Makino and Garp are hers. Shanks is becoming hers, and she's sure his crew will too. They're _hers_ and she'll never leave them in the dark.

Ergo, a pirate.

Luffy nods with a smile at whatever Shanks is saying. Everyone but the captain probably notices that she's not listening, and has actually stopped minutes ago, but the redhead is so oblivious that it makes it even funnier.

It's bitter, how she _still_ ends up going for freedom the same way the real, downgraded version of Monkey D. Luffy did; she's sure he has never given it this much thought, he never seemed to put logic into things. Well, he _did_. It simply was his own logic and Luffy admits that that might be something they have in common, seeing as she's pretty sure most people wouldn't agree with her thoughts.

If she turns out to be a pirate, she _knows_ she could achieve the freedom, and the happiness and the family bonds and so many other things. She knows she'll find people who would never leave her, just as she would never do to them. She has the capability to be the greatest, the best anyone has ever seen. And it's a bitter realization, because it seems that no matter how much she wants to be different from the original, stupider Luffy, they are sides of the same coin. She's smarter, but she's just as protective and selfish as he is. She has a hunger inside, she wants to strive and go against everyone and anyone who thinks she'll never make it. Because she will, she'll live her life in freedom.

Last names be damned.

* * *

Luffy has no intention whatsoever to try and gouge her eyes out to prove herself. That's stupid and while she loves the thrill of danger, she likes the idea of having two functioning eyes a bit more. A large bit.

In her past life, she has never given fate, and destiny and the rules of the universe and whatever else mumbo-jumbo theorists came up with, much thought. She lived in a scientific world, where people created AIs as a past-time and you could travel from one side of the world to the other in less than a day. So no, _destiny_ never mattered. There she had been simply herself, smart and held down by the rules of a Government she did not agree with and parents that felt more like strangers.

Here, though, things change. Here is different because there are no constricting parents forcing her into their ways and opinions and here she has the possibility of following a path where no law exists. And here, apparently, fate exists.

She grumbles under her breath again, not even flinching when the nice town doctor, Asa, pats rudely at the gaping gash under her eyes with a cotton ball.

(She thinks he's doing it on purpose, seeing as she accidentally pushed his daughter a bit _too_ strongly once. Too bad she's good with overlooking pain and even if she wasn't, she would be in this occasion only to annoy him a bit more.)

Shanks stand next to her, an aggravating grin illuminating his face. Shanks stands there and all Luffy wants to do is kick him where the sun doesn't shine _and_ throw him in the sea, but she doesn't. Destiny sucks and she likes her face, she doesn't want to end up with a scar. She's always been a bit vain _and_ she has all the reasons too. Now, because of the stupid pirate that yes, is very attractive, but also very irritating, she's ended up with a scar under her eye.

"You look just like me, now!" he teases, probably thinking she's too shocked to properly react. She's not. She should have expected something to happen; she's more angry and put-out than scared. Yes, seeing a nail so close to her eye wasn't the best of experiences, but she _knew_ Shanks was near enough to help her if anything were to happen. But still, _really_?

She will make sure to make that stupid carpenter pay, because who leaves a beam with _nails _sticking out in the streets? And yes, maybe she should have looked instead of blindly running her way to the Party Bar, but Shanks was going to be there and she was excited.

"Thankfully I'm smarter," she mocks him, slightly pushing the doctor away from her when he pats a plaster under her eye. Her head hurts a bit and it's probably because she has lost a _lot_ of blood, and she's only six and a half and shouldn't go around spilling it like that.

Shanks arches a brow at her, "Really? I'm not the one who tripped on a nail." Luffy grumbles again, because today he's more irritating than the usual and her head hurts and _if this goddamned doctor doesn't get away from her_…

"What? You don't have a comeback?" he teases her again and Luffy sighs. She jumps down from the stool and goes around the counter, because she knows Makino has left her her daily fruit and cucumbers in the fridge. She _still_ hasn't had breakfast and it's almost noon now, and no matter how much Shanks tries to press her buttons she won't be able to respond properly if she doesn't eat.

She bites into her cantaloupe slice, still glaring at the redhead. He looks amused, _too_ amused for it to be sane. She wonders why she considers him _hers_, when he clearly is finding hilarity in her almost gouging her eye out. No, not her. The stupid village carpenter and his stupid badly positioned nails almost gouging her eye out.

"I didn't trip," she snarks, sticking her fork into another piece of fruit. She's staring at Shanks, so she's not paying much attention. Later she'll blame it on Makino, because _there_'s no way she's getting embarrassed twice in a single day. "I was assaulted by that idiotic carpenter."

Shanks chuckles under his breath, but his laughter stops when he notices Luffy's disgusted look. She swallows the fruit and her wide eyes look at Makino, _hoping _oh so bad that she just ate something rotten instead of what she's thinking. "Maki," she calls her, her voice trembling. The green haired woman (and hell, ain't _that_ weird) smiles at her, that same sweet tilt of her lips that Luffy can't help but reciprocate. She doesn't now though, because whatever she ate tasted rancid and she doesn't think it'll be possible for it to leave her tongue.

"Did you give me a rotten fruit?" she asks, _hoping_ that Makino's head was so up in the clouds she actually gave her something that was going bad. The greenette shakes her head, clearly confused. "No, it's the fruit that came in yesterday. I added one of the exotic ones to your usual cup, you always like trying them out," she admits and Luffy feels like dying.

It's not like she was planning on _never_ eating a devil fruit. She's not dumb, she knows there isn't much she can do without the aided power of one of those rotten things to help her; she wasn't sure about eating Shanks' though, because the thought of… stretching her limbs to unexplainable lenghts creeps her out. Now she thinks that would have been better, because she has most likely just eaten a devil fruit and has no idea which one. She doubts Makino would remember the appearance _and_ even if she does, what are the probabilities of someone from the pirate crew knowing which one it is?

The pirate captain is looking at her wide eyed, probably as upset as her. She thinks it might be _more_ because they're worth a lot, than because she ate one without knowing which one it was, but who knows. He's pretty unpredictable to her, no matter how much time they've spent together in the past months.

Luffy sighs and she can feel the sting of tears behind her closed eyes. She doesn't like crying, it makes her look spoiled and a brat, but _really_. She thinks she's allowed a breakdown today, considering everything that has happened.

* * *

Luffy is all levels of confused.

She has no idea what happened and no matter how hard she tries, she can't seem to remember. She remembers teasing Shanks, under the careful eyes of his first-mate, and she remembers a loud bang resonating in the Party Bar. There were heavy steps and a tall man, inhumanly so, bragging about a bounty and asking for alcohol.

Then she doesn't remember anything else, except _blood blood blood_. The smell of it so deeply ingrained in her brain, that Luffy wonders if she'll ever be able to sleep again. She stands frozen near the body parts of the dead mountain bandit, and yes, she thought destiny would put things in motions, but _this_, she thinks, has nothing to do with fate.

Because her vision going red when he threatened _her_ Maki, feeling the blood (_there's so much blood_) pumping into the other's veins, the scream that tore her throat and the droplets of blood falling from her nose… those aren't supposed to happen. There's no destiny there, no fate. She's six, she's not supposed to _see_ and_ do_ that. She's supposed to be a six years old, with a dream too big and perfect for her at the same time.

She's not supposed to be a murderer.

But he threatened Makino. He talked, and bragged, and smashed the counter of Maki's bar. That's her treasure, the store she has dedicated her whole life to. Makino is family and Luffy always defends family. He deserved it, didn't he?

Even _if_ she didn't act on impulse (and what was that, anyway?), he would've come back sooner rather than later. And Shanks wouldn't have been there to protect them and _she_ would have been hurt, or worse, Makino. Makino _can't_ be hurt. Maki is her sister, she's her rock, she's the only person whom she's sure will _always_ be there for her.

Makino might be oblivious, and yes, she's got her head in the clouds half of the time, but Makino is _hers_. She's so completely hers and she wouldn't be Luffy if she let anyone think they could step over her.

She turns around and tries not to look at the blood on her hands, on her clothes. The pool gathering at her feet, the disassembled body of Higuma, the mountain bandit. She smiles, shakily, because she has already had her breakdown this week and there's no way, _no way_, she'll cry once again. Luffy is strong, she's smart. She's not a crybaby, she's not a child.

"I guess we know what devil fruit I ate?" she stammers and her voice trembles, but Luffy won't concede. She doesn't catch the others expressions, because her eyes are so focused on Makino's wide eyes. There's a droplet of blood there too, Luffy notices, and she hates herself a little bit for it.

Makino is sweet, she's pure. She's barely seventeen and she's not supposed to have blood on her. Not now, not ever. Makino being _hers_ means that she'll always be there to defend her, to go against the hardships she might be put in front of. That's what Luffy is there for, that's what Luffy wants to do. But Maki's hands are trembling as her fingers clean the drop of blood from her forehead, and her hazel eyes are so wide and scared and, ah.

The room is silent and Luffy decides she doesn't like that. She always thought she liked her moments of peace, but the absence of sounds is oppressing. She tries to take a step forward, because _her_ Maki is scared and she needs comfort. She needs a hug, Grandpa always says hugs make people feel better. Her foot catches on something though and she thinks it would have been better if she refrained from looking down.

Luffy doesn't see much after that. She faints, but even unconscious her chest hurts a bit. For the first time in her new life, she doubts Makino will stay by her side. If Makino doesn't want her anymore, she'll leave. She'll still be hers.

* * *

**And.. she killed someone. First chapter and she's already at her first kill, wonder how long it'll take for her to reach fifty! Please _please please pleaseeeeee _ review and tell me what you thought about this! I'll be sure to post the second chapter soon and I'll try to make out a schedule for the next ones! Lemme know which fruit you think she ate :)! Thank u for all the amazing feedback I've been receiving! It makes me really happy to see the reviews and follows and favorites. Hope to see u soon**


	3. chapter 2

**Know Your Worth  
**_chapter 2_

* * *

Luffy opens her eyes and her head hurts. It hurts a lot and there's a steely smell surrounding her, but she can't pinpoint it. She knows she has smelled it before, but it doesn't come to mind right now. She cranes her neck and notices she's in her bed. She doesn't remember going back home, she doesn't remember anything.

There was a party, as always, at the bar. She was smiling and joking around, and then… someone entered? She's not sure, but she shrugs it off. She gets up and notices that someone changed her clothes, probably Maki. She must have fell asleep, which is weird. She doesn't sleep much and Makino often scolds her for that, but Luffy's mind is too active for her to sleep for more than only a few hours a night. She's an early riser and never goes to sleep before the middle of the night, most times too engrossed in one of the books her Grandpa left for her before sailing once again.

She makes her way to Party's Bar, a carefree jolt in her steps. She notices that it's a bit earlier than usual, and the sun still hasn't completely rose, but it's ok. Maki is an early riser herself, often opening up the bar early for the fishermen of the village so that they can get a good breakfast before heading off to sea. She stops in front of the door and tilts her head in confusion, because the sign says _closed!_ but Luffy knows it shouldn't.

She hears noise from inside though, so she carelessly opens the big door. She grins a bit, thinking of how her Gramps would simply smash the wall beside it. Makino crouches near the counter, a deer in the highlights look on her face and a rosy rag on her hands. There's a big bucket next to her and Luffy can see how pink the water is in there as well, she can see the strain in Makino's legs as she stands and the way her eyes are red and blinking with unshed tears.

Her older sister looks like she hasn't had any sleep, like the dark hours of the past night have been occupied with _cry cry cry _and Luffy doesn't know why. She rushes to her, her tiny feet quickly bringing her to the woman she's grown to consider family. She holds her hand out, wanting to take the cloth out of her wet and freezing hands and help her. Makino flinches and Luffy notices the dry blood still left on the wooden floor.

Makino flinches and Luffy remembers what she did. Makino flinches, Makino is scared of her and Luffy runs like she has never done before.

* * *

Luffy hasn't been to the Party's Bar in almost a week. She either spends her time at home, surrounded by the blue duvet her Grandpa bought her from one of the Seas, occasionally munching at rice crackers, or at her special spot.

Her special spot is _special_ because no one knows about it. Not Gramps, not Shanks, not Makino. Makino… the thought of her unofficial older sister makes another wave of unshed tears pool into her big doe eyes. It's _not_ that Luffy regrets anything.

She does believe she could have handled it differently, but she's always been fiercely protective of what is hers. She considers, or well, considered?, the woman hers and so she defended her as best as she could. The new abilities from the still unknown devil fruit didn't help though, because while she would have killed many for what is hers, _she didn't mean to._

Higuma was a bastard, an animal that deserved nothing, but the way he had breathed his last breath wasn't anything that Luffy had ever seen. And now _she_ is capable of doing that, of shamelessly tearing someone's body to pieces. He looked like he was mauled by an animal, and she vaguely remembers him being eaten by the King of The Coast, so she figures it isn't such a farfetched description.

Makino recoiling at her touch, though, she didn't expect.

Can't she see she was only trying to defend her? Shanks didn't look like he was going to do anything, with that _stupid, foolish_ smile on his face and, anyway, she _knew_ he wasn't going to. He'd sit there and laugh and get drenched in alcohol, and then he'd sail away again. And then what? Who would be there to stop the bandit should he come again, should he want to follow with his threats? Should he really come and hurt Makino like he said he would, or destroy the bar, or someone forbid it, even _hurt_ anyone of the villagers?

Luffy doesn't care about the villagers and she doesn't think she will anytime soon, but they never go out of their way to treat her like a freak. The kids do and she's hurt about it, but even with her brain capacity probably being ruined by her family's genes, she's fully aware it's because they're _kids_. Even the Mayor, with his blatant distaste, still occasionally helps her when she's falling over backwards to help with Makino's pub.

Makino _has_ to know that, right? She _has_ to have realized by now that all that Luffy does is for her and Gramps and Shanks and the villagers!

Luffy sighs, biting her lip as she drowns a little bit more in between the huge roots of the tree she's leaning her back on. The natural pool she likes so much is glinting before her, the few rays of sunlight that succeed in getting through the heavy foliage giving the place a nice, cozy aura. It looks magical and it used to be, but that was when it succeeded in calming her down. Now it doesn't have the same effect, because she's not simply missing her Gramps, it's not like she has had another yelling match with the Mayor. Makino can't look her in the eyes and Luffy finds out that there's no place like next to her sister figure.

Leaves crunch and birds chirp away as they fly, and Luffy looks up only to see the same stupid and idiotic smile she doesn't know if she loves or despises. She knows she looks like hell, her hair dirty and her snot on her yellow dress, but she doesn't really care now. A few weeks ago, she would have blushed madly and hid behind Makino and she would have later teased her about her puppy crush on the older pirate. Now, however, she stares him back unflinchingly, a bit scared of _what_ he might want.

She wonders if he used Haki, a fuzzy memory of the ability making others able to spot people, but Luffy isn't really sure. Shanks crouches before her and she can't help herself from noting how even in that position, he still towers over her tiny body. The physics of this world have stopped bothering her a long time ago, but it's disconcerting in this situation.

For all she knows, Red Haired Shanks is unrivalled in power and while he's presented himself as a nice enough man with good morals, he could still be here to teach her a lesson. Luffy doubts that, but his hovering figure doesn't do much to calm her beating heart.

He smiles at her anyway and the words he says are spoken in a soft voice, almost uncharacteristic of him, and it's not until she feels the weight of the Straw Hat on her head that she starts crying.

_"You've been really brave." _

With only four words, Luffy finds herself crumbling into pieces. Or maybe it's the hat, or the gentle smile that's twisting his face into the most breathtaking view she has ever seen, or maybe, again, she's simply letting it out all over again. Luffy has no idea and she doesn't really want to think too much about it, so she continues to cry as Shanks picks her up and slowly walks his way back to the Village. Her tiny fists are gripping at his white shirt and the smell of salt and ocean and freedom is so strong that she calms down quickly, a few sobs still shaking her as they finally make their way out of the Forest again.

Makino is there, worried and with deep purple bruises under her eyes, her green hair unkept and her hands clenched. She's there and lets out the biggest sigh of relief when she sees Luffy again and when Shanks hands her to her and Luffy feels Makino hug her as if her life depends on it, a wail rocks her body once again.

Makino is whispering to her but Luffy doesn't care, because Maki doesn't _have_ to say sorry to her. Makino doesn't have to do anything for her, because Luffy will always be the first one in line ready to protect her from everything bad. Even if, one day, bad might be her.

* * *

The whole village stands at the port, grins on their faces. The pirates are sailing away once again and this time they won't come back. The people start moving back soon enough, everyone returning to their daily mentions, but Luffy stays there.

The hat is still on her head and she grabs it with one hand, meeting the eyes of the pirate she has grown to admire so much. She had never _really_ understood what it meant to admire someone, to look up to another with so much pride and want and _need_, but then she met Shanks. He smiles at her and he's as pretty as ever, but she finds his reaction when she says what she's thinking makes him simply heart-stopping.

"I'll be the King," she promises and he smirks, his eyes so proud and his stance majestic that Luffy might think _he_ is already royalty. "Then keep the hat," he says and Luffy's heart fills with affection all over again. "You'll give it back when you'll be able to beat me, Trippy."

Luffy smiles, for once not disgruntled at the stupid nickname he gave her (_still better than Anchor_!). The crew sails away, but Luffy stays there until the sun makes his descend behind the sea. She puts _her_ hat back on and heads off to Party's Bar. She's missed her daily dose of fruits and cucumbers today.

* * *

Monkey D. Garp had never planned for a granddaughter. The idea of his revolutionary son _actually_ knocking up someone had never even crossed his mind, much less getting his prole shaved in his hands to take care of.

Garp doesn't mind much.

It's been almost seven years and his granddaughter is easily the best part of his life, work be damned. He loves his job, the constant challenge that it brings when he travels to the ends of the Grand Line, but, even if he would never admit it, he loves his Luffy a little bit more.

Since she was able to talk, they've figured out a pattern. He would call once every week to hear her happy babbling and he would tell her stories too and right on the clock, they would hang up after exactly twenty-seven minutes. Luffy would yell an _I love you!_ just before the receiver of the snail met the shell again and Garp wouldn't have the chance to answer.

Garp has seen eyes like Luffy's only once before. Those dark pools are smart, magnetic and they know _too much_. Eyes like those, Garp knows he has only seen on the face of his only son. Cold and calculating, but there's still an overwhelming difference between his first born and his sweet granddaughter. Luffy _still _has the traits of a child, the attention span of a fish and an immense, overflowing love for her Grandpapa. Garp finds it a bit disconcerting. The probabilities of her turning out a criminal like her father (not that a part of him isn't inherently proud of the man) are more likely than her following the life of a Marine. Garp can see it, when she smiles that big grin of hers that shows her dimples, when they calmly sit by the coast to observe the sea… He knows that Luffy most likely has already a dream, one that she'll follow no matter who or what she might stand against.

Garp can't say he's too bothered about that.

What _really_ bothers him is how this week has been completely silent. His princess hasn't called him, nor did she answer the Den Den Mushi when _he_ tried to. Garp knows she's probably at the Party's Bar helping Makino, or maybe stirring some more trouble with the village doctor, or teasing the Mayor… but Luffy doesn't miss their weekly calls.

No matter how much of a busy-bee she makes herself, she still clears those twenty-seven minutes out of her Wednesday to speak with her Gramps. She's precise and organized, and Garp has the distinct feeling that something has happened. He's not sure if it's bad yet, but the idea makes his heart plummet into his stomach and sweat pool at his nape.

He's on his way to Foosha anyway. Sengoku is a stubborn man, but Garp is worse than him and there's no way he's getting in between him and his dear granddaughter's seventh birthday. Sengoku let him go, after three days of pleading and rice crackers' crumbs all over his Fleet Admiral important documents. Garp grinned in victory and changed into one of his colorful floral shirts, eager to see both of his brats again.

On his way to Dawn Island, Bogard by his side as always, Garp receives a call. His head hurts a bit with the amounts of information that he's given and Bogard points out how it's a long shot, but all Garp can think about is that one of the quickly rising pirates was in the East Blue. In the East Blue, where his granddaughter lives, where she has suddenly closed all contacts, where he hid the son of the King of Pirates… Garp barks his order, eyes steely and fists clenched.

Bogard makes sure they reach the island two days earlier than scheduled.

* * *

**Hiya! Hope you liked this chapter hehe. Luffy _still_ gets the hat and at this point it's more the rule of the universe than anything else, but yeah. So, Makino was a bit scared of Luffy but honestly? I'd be paralyzed too if a child killed someone in front of me. Garp worries and he does that a lot, Luffy _is_ his sweet granddaughter after all and I plan on making their relationship a bit different from canon's. Anyway, some early guests will appear next chapter and there'll be another special POV, so I hope you look forward to it! Please lemme know what you think about this by reviewing (even if you hate it, I'll take it in with stride I swear!) and again, what devil fruit do you think she has eaten? I actually have a few ideas, which is why I'm putting the disclosure a bit off, but I wanna hear it from you! Don't expect this many chapters _always_ thought, because I'll actually have to study sooner rather than later seeing as my exams are practically a month away now (and yes, i've done nothing. I regret less). Love u and thanks for the amazing feedback I've been receiving.**


	4. chapter 3

**Know Your Worth  
**_chapter 3_

* * *

The meeting is not intentional. She hasn't planned for it and, in all honestly, Luffy has no qualms about admitting that she very much _didn't_ want to meet them. Shanks has sailed away, her birthday is just two weeks away and the straw hat that's going to dictate at least the next fifteen, if not more, years of her life is secured on her head. She's wearing one of those nice dresses Makino spends so much time sewing for her, puffy short sleeves and the scrapes on her tanned knees visible. She hasn't bothered for sandals this morning, because she plans on spending the whole day with her toes caressing the grass and her eyes taking in the magical sight that is her special spot.

Then she takes a right instead of a left, because her head is full of Shanks and birthdays and Makino and Gramps is due back soon and, darn!, with the whole devil fruit she completely ignored their weekly call! The difference in paths is quickly noticeable, the usual green patches of grass melt into flowers of every color, and Luffy thinks they might be extremely poisonous, and there are berry bushes but Luffy has never seen fruits like those before. She's been walking for a while and she thinks that _maybe_ eating one or two may not be that bad of an idea, she's hungry and she wants fruit and Makino is sick with a cold and won't open the inn today.

She takes a few in her tiny hands and continues walking, even if she has no idea where she's going now. She likes adventures anyway, and what are the possibilities of something happening to her _this_ close to the village? She throws one of the red berries in her mouth and it tastes sweet and absolutely delicious, so much that a grin colors her face.

The next events are a bit fuzzy and lead Luffy to admit to herself that eating strange fruits isn't the best idea, especially when the last time she did she ended up developing strange powers she still doesn't really understand. She trips and Shanks' voice fills her head at that, the sound of _Trippy!_ haunting her. Luffy is yelling, someone else is yelling and she's sure she has scraped her back bad enough she might have blood splotches on her pretty, sky blue dress. Makino will scold her and yell and grunt as she tries to wash the now ruined dress, but Luffy knows her sister doesn't know how to hold a grudge. She's glad it's not her yellow one though, because that one is a gift from Gramps and she likes it a lot.

Luffy's descent down the steep hill is stopped by a foot and while she's a bit amused at that, she still finds it very rude. She looks up, ignoring the sticky juice of one of her berries on her cheek, and meets two faces that are both strangely familiar and blatantly foreign. Luffy thinks living this life would be easier if people actually looked like their Before counterpart, all bold black lines and vibrant colors, but that would've been ever weirder.

"Blease ged yor food obb ma bace!" she mutters, the dark loafer still stamped on her nose. The boy seems to understand her well enough and retracts his leg with a barely visible blush on his face. Luffy thinks it's cute, but she doesn't comment on it. She's surprised to see that she's not bleeding and that it didn't hurt. Maybe it has to do with her devil fruit?

The dark haired boy stares at her with wide eyes and Luffy attempts a look at the other one, curly blonde hair cut short and a gape in his teeth visible because of the huge grin he's sporting. That's cute too. He's dressed weirdly and they both have pipes hanging from their hands and Luffy curses her genes in her head. _Of course _she would meet them earlier than expected, _of course_ the different path would lead her to them and _of course_ sharing blood with Monkey D. Garp (and basically being a slightly different version of the original Luffy) would make her so dumb that she didn't recognize the two instantly.

It's a bit embarrassing, how _long_ it actually took her to make the connection.

"Thank you," she says and the dark haired boy stutters a bit under her big doe eyes. Luffy thinks there's something _wrong wrong wrong_ with his behaviour, but she can't pinpoint it. Instead she turns towards the other one, Sa-something, she recalls, and gives her most blinding smile. "I'm Luffy, nice to meet ya!"

The blond smiled back, a hand coming forwards to introduce himself properly. Luffy smacks it away with an amused smirk and _oh!_, his name is Sabo. At least she has gotten one syllable right, she compliments herself. The boy with a messy head of dark hair is still blushing and stuttering and Luffy tries to hold in a laugh, because she can't imagine him being _this_ shy in front of a girl, much less a girl like herself. She prones him with a gentle smile though and he finally mutters his name, not that he needed to.

"Why were you rolling down that hill, Luffy?" asks Sabo and Luffy stops her musings, giving him another cheeky smile. The berry juice is sticky now and it makes her skin uncomfortable, and she's pretty sure her dress has a big tearing running down her back. "I tripped," she laughs, because everything sounds a bit funnier today. Sabo seems to take notice of that, but before he can say anything else Luffy is pointing behind him, her eyes so huge and wide and _glinting_ that it's hard to ignore the sight. Her mouth is agape and she starts jumping on her feet, excitement seeping off her pores.

She runs off and Sabo and Ace end up following her, a bit intrigued by the crazy girl they just met.

* * *

Mayor Woop Slap is right about done with this day. It's not even midday and he has already made a trip to and from the Town Center of Goa Kingdom to deliver some documents for the Village and is now trying _very_ hard to get the so-called Marine Hero, Monkey D. Garp to leave him alone. Even when he's seas away, he's single handedly the most annoying member of his family of three.

Don't get him wrong, the Mayor doesn't have anything against the Monkeys. He's friends with the old Marine and over the years, even if he would never admit it, has developed a special liking for the youngest Monkeys. He doesn't agree with their decisions, and their loud voices and the way they could destroy his tiny village in a few minutes if they actually wanted, but they still are (or at least have been) his citizens.

He noticed Luffy stepping her way into the trees this morning and while the little girl might think that no one knows where she's going, her "special" spot is known by pretty much everyone in Foosha. They leave her be though and the Mayor hasn't really ever interacted much with the newest Monkey disaster, anyway.

Garp doesn't seem to care though, because it's been ten minutes (even if it feels like hours) and his voice is still ringing through his Den Den Mushi. It's all _Luffy this _and _Luffy that_, and where has she been and why hasn't she called and is she alright? I'm coming anyway, but is she alright? I'll be there in two days tops, is my princess still breathing? Has that damned pirate been there? Did he do something to my sweet Luffy? I'll kill him, I'll make him cry for his next three lives and… and Woop Slap hangs up in a spur of high annoyance.

Woop Slap sighs, before throwing some salt over his Den Den Mushi. The snail shrivels up and moans in pain but the Mayor couldn't care less, he'd do anything to get Garp off his back right now. He gets up from the wooden chair and his bones pop, accompanied by a loud groan. He takes his cane and starts wobbling out of his house, hoping to get some peace _away_ from the even far possibility of Monkey D. Garp calling him once again to inquire about his granddaughter.

He's surprised when, less than ten minutes later, he finds himself walking his way to the natural pool just a few meters into the forest. He figures he should at least _tell_ little Luffy that her Grandpa is raging, before he arrives in a few days time and punches her head in. She can take it, he has seen it himself, but still calming the marine _before_ his arrival might be the best choice (and it will make sure he doesn't get any other call until he sets foot on land.)

His cane taps on the grass and when he arrives, he sees that Luffy is not alone. She's running around, never too close to the water for reasons he doesn't know. She has always liked water, more often than not she could be found swimming back and fro, but lately she has started to stay clear of it. He wonders if it's because of something the pirates told to her.

They make a funny sight, with Luffy yelling and pointing and eyes so absurdly happy that he thinks he hasn't seen them like that since the last time either the pirates or Garp visited. The two boys are messy too, dirt browning their faces and clothes as they wave their pipes in the air, calling the little girl's name.

It's a disarray of _Luffy come here!_, _you damn brat watch where you're going! _and _Luffy stop eating those things! _‒ but Woop Slap chuckles all the same, enjoying the little princess of the Village (not that anyone would ever tell her) run around with her new friends. Then she trips and he notices how she's silent, eyes wide in fear, just before she meets the water. One of the boys, the blond one, dives in and throws her out easily. Luffy might be a Monkey, but even with her huge appetite she still weighs like a feather (maybe it's because she's crazy about those fruits?).

Luffy is laughing loudly, even as the blonde one pounds his foot on her chest, and Woop Slap shakes his head when he sees her spitting some water out. He thinks there might be some seaweed there too, but at least she's alive. And Makino's cooking probably has already steeled her stomach enough.

The other boy, a kid with messy black hair and a sprinkle of freckles over his nose and cheeks, pries a handful of red berries from her hands and Luffy pouts. She's smiling again soon enough though and so the Mayor decides to leave. He can tell her some other time.

She's probably better than she has ever been.

* * *

Ace and Sabo have never met someone as completely annoying, entirely crazy _and_ immensely sweet as Luffy. She told them she's from Foosha, and her seventh birthday is in a few days, and the tattered straw hat on her head is her treasure and a gift from one of _her_ people. They both looked at her weirdly at that, because how can people be yours? It's a concept that neither of them understands, but she's younger than them and probably a lot dumber, so maybe it's just a way she has to say that it's from one of her parents.

They don't talk much about themselves, too busy trying to catch the little black haired girl in an improvised game of tag _and_ trying to make her drop the poisonous berries. Ace still chuckles, as they're climbing their way back towards the Gray Terminal, as he thinks of the way Sabo's face looked when he noticed them.

His eyes became as big as saucers, and his jaw slacked, and his tanned skin went a few shades paler. He started yelling and talking about _books_ and _poisons_ and _hallucinations_ and Ace understood maybe a fourth of it, but it was enough to make them chase the little girl around.

Ace isn't one to make friends, Sabo is the one of the two who's more open, more gentle and kind. He _doesn't_ really understand it, but the seven year old (almost!) looked like a little puppy being kicked, _especially_ when he effectively had a foot on her face.

He felt a bit jealous when she started talking about some Maki chick, because Luffy has siblings and probably parents and probably a whole village there for her. Then she smiled sweetly at him and told them that 'Maki' could be their sister too, all they needed to do was ask for share a bowl of fruit, because that's how it happened for them.

Ace arched a brow at that, because _didn't _sworn siblings get… you know, sworn, by sharing sake? Luffy _is_ seven though, so maybe it's because of that.

"I'm surprised you tagged along for so long," says Sabo and Ace can't help the grunt. _He_ is surprised too, he can't find the reason either. Luffy is a spoiled brat from the village, she's not like either of them. She has normal parents (even _if_ the strength she has shown is unnatural) and normal friends, no one to call her a monster just because of the blood she carries.

"Ace," he cranes his neck. Sabo has that annoying smile on his face, the one he uses whenever he's about to tease him just _too_ much. "Do you have a crush?"

If Ace's pipe meets Sabo's blond head then and there, no one but the two of them will ever know.

* * *

**filler chapter? Yes. Eh, three different point of views in one chapter maybe I'm going a bit too crazy here. Anyways, enter Ace and Sabo, mostly because I'm not sure I'll make Garp leave her with the bandits so soon? I dunno, anyways there will be _more _of them even in the next two chapters if I don't change anything from what I've already written, but you never know. Might even be the only appearance they have for a while. Ace is overly OOC, and I tried to salvage what I could but I'm sorry if I made him... not Ace. I personally think that Ace's reason for his first dislike or wtv he had for Luffy was because 1) Garp literally brought him to Dadan's and announced he was his blood grandson, which to someone with Daddy issues such as Ace might be a lot. 2) he was literally constricted to live with the kid and I mean, wouldn't you get pissy if some stranger kid got into your living space? Exactly. and Ace has been shown to be, generally, a bit shy around girls when he was a kiddo. So yeah, I figured he wouldn't be his rowdy, rude self when met with a female Luffy that wasn't intruding into his personal life out of the blue. But yeah, 'nyways, hope you liked this chapter and please continue to give your guesses for Luffy's devil fruit! Truth is I had two different ideas, even if I think i've finally settled on one, but I might _still _change it over night or over the week or over whenever I will publish the next chapter. Thank you so much for the follows and favorites and the many views! Please _please please _remember to review because it makes me really happy to read your thoughts about this story (even if it's to insult me!). Stay tuned for more, it'll probably happen some time next week! **


	5. chapter 4

**I _know _I said there would be more ASL content here, but it turns out I've taken it out and decided to turn it in a bonus chapter (which is actually only a few hundreds words shorter than my normals chapters but, aight) that I'll post sometime next week, so please look forward to some ASL fluff even if I'm not feeling it that much. I'll leave you to chapter four! **

* * *

**Know Your Worth  
**_chapter 4_

* * *

If this was an anime, Luffy is sure there would be a huge, red tick mark on her forehead. It would be completely unjustified too, because it's in her Gramps nature to be so obtuse, but it can be _so _annoying.

He has docked in town with Bogard a few hours ago and he has already scolded her ear off. He's been all in her business, asking her why she didn't call and where did she get that ugly thing (to which Luffy gave a strong kick to his shin, because he's not calling the hat ugly under her watch _ever_), and what does she mean Shanks gave it to her? Is his sweet Luffy _blushing_?

No, he can't have that!

And then again and again and again and again and Luffy is so close to committing murder for the second time in a month. Bogard is grinning like a mad man and Luffy is half tempted to murder him too, because she never liked him and he enjoys it a bit too much when her Gramps goes all cray-cray on her. His Gramps _apparently_ has no idea she has killed a mountain bandit and that makes her think that maybe the Mayor doesn't know either, because she knows if he had heard about it he would've already called her Gramps calling her a demon.

Makino doesn't say a word either and Luffy figures that if she's going to tell him, she might as well get something out of it. Maybe some haki training, or training in general that doesn't end up with his fist on her head _or _hungry, angry wolves wanting to eat her.

Her Gramps is still talking and Bogard is still smirking and Luffy decides to go the hell with it.

"Yeah," she nods as he keeps bubbling about marines and HQs and she thinks he has mentioned Woop Slap too, but she can't be too sure. "I killed a leech the other week."

Her Gramps smile and Luffy knows he thinks she killed an actual leech, mostly because of his next words. "Oh, have you eaten it? If you want to start eating meat by the little things it's ok!" Luffy grimaces, not at the thought of eating a leech but because her Gramps is always trying to shove meat inside her mouth. It's not like she's vegan or vegetarian or whatever other dietary exists in this world, she simply _doesn't _like meat (especially if it's burnt and tastes like ashes thanks to Makino's worrying skills). Luffy really thinks she should at least _try_ and teach Maki to cook before her Gramps kicks her away to the bandits' house on Mt. Corvo.

"Ah, no." She shakes her head softly, and her face is back into the tell-tale blank expression she gets when she's talking with someone and Bogard is in the vicinity. She _really _doesn't stand him. Her Gramps tilts his head and shoves a finger so up his nose Luffy is worried he might be damaging his brain _even _more, but Luffy still thinks he looks like a little child. More than her, anyway. "The leech was this huge mountain bandit that threatened Makino."

Bogard drops his smirk and Luffy instead gets her own, because she has spoken her words while looking him straight in the eyes and it's so funny to see his jaw go slack. She might kill more often, if it means getting that reaction from the always smirking second in command.

Ah. Maybe the entire thing _did_ fuck her up.

"What?!" her Gramps bellows and Luffy sighs. She rotates her wrist unconsciously, her shoulder relaxing when her bones pop loudly. She hums, because she _still_ doesn't know what happened clearly. She remembers being mad, too mad, and the smell of blood and the bandit's limbs kind of… flying away? After the event she's been too bothered with making sure Makino wasn't scared of her _and_ begging her to help her sew another dress like the one she had on that day. The basics are she got mad, she killed someone. It should be pretty simple, so she doesn't really get why her oversized Gramps is running around screaming like a headless chicken.

It's a funny sight though.

"Jii-chan, are you becoming deaf?" she teases, trying to make her eyes look _bigger_ than they already are. She can't help to tease, but maybe like this she'll be able to avoid a fist. He doesn't seem to hear her though,still jaw slack and wide eyes and loud yells about his pure princess becoming tainted.

"Oi!" she yells this time, her tiny foot meeting his knee with a strong kick. He stumbles a bit and Luffy is surprised, but she ignores it in favor of scolding the fifty-something old man. "Shanks didn't do anything! He's innocent!"

She has never seen her Gramps look so miserable, and she feels a bit bad about it, but she forgets the guilt when he opens his mouth. She forgets a lot of things whenever her idiotic grandfather opens his mouth and Luffy hasn't felt this _old_ since her last life. "S-Shanks?" he stummers and Luffy is half tempted to kick him in the nuts. He _knows_ he's been here, he's already weeped about him, so why's he being so stupid now?

"Luffy," he says all serious and Luffy almost thinks he's gone back to being the respectable marine he _should_ be. Almost. "Who's better, Jii-chan or… Shanks?" Bogard is smirking again and Luffy can feel Makino's amusement from behind her, but she figures if she's going to get punched she might as well have a good reason for it.

"Jii-chan, isn't it obvious?" She smiles and she could _swear _there are pink flowers growing around his head, but the image is soon broken when she opens her mouth again. "Shanks is so much better! He's so handsome and his hair _aren't _gray and he spent so much time with me!"

Luffy smiles sweetly and turns towards Makino, her stomach grumbling at the thought of cucumbers. Her Gramps is crying her a river behind her, but Maki has already prepared her bowl and Luffy soon forgets about it.

* * *

Bogard has never felt this uncomfortable before.

It might be because Garp barked at him to leave the Marine coat at his house, and now he feels very naked without it, or maybe it's because Garp's favorite brat has a way on his nerves. It's not that he doesn't like her, because the brat is cheeky and pretty funny and the granddaughter of his superior. He has heard enough of her from the Vice-Admiral to _feel _like she's his own, but their interaction have never went past the occasional smirk or roll of the eye.

Bogard himself is a silent man, something that is needed when you're the right hand man of someone as talkative like Monkey D. Garp. He didn't laugh when the kid blatantly dismissed her grandfather, even if he wanted to. He had the feeling that if he did, then Luffy would find something to make him feel _even more _uncomfortable than he already felt.

Said kid is sitting at one of the stools of the empty Party's Bar, eating cucumber slices. Bogard wonders if the Vice-Admiral _actually _shares blood with the brat; it's a strange sight, his superior eating several plates filled with meat and mashed potatoes that look too burnt to be edible and drinking a pint, while his supposed granddaughter bites at the vegetable in a much slower pace.

She catches his eye and Bogard is now even more miserable, because he can swear that the brat is staring him down, evaluating him. He's strong, and he's sure he can old his own against a seven year old child, but there's still sweat gathering behind his neck and it's something that hasn't happened since his first months of working with the Vice-Admiral more than ten years ago.

He smirks, and he's sure his superior could see the relief in his eyes if he wanted to, when Garp punches her head and tells her to stop. "'M not doing anything," she shrugs, a hand now secured over her straw hat. Garp grunts and Bogard can see the disgusted expression on both the bartender and his grandchild when meat and spit fall out of his mouth. "You're tryin' to make him run away," he explains after he takes a sip of his beer and Luffy sighs.

"'Nyways, you got 'em Bogard?" he asks and Bogard nods in silence, showing the few books he had walked to High Town to take. Bogard has no idea _why _the first thing Garp thought of when both the fruit _and _Luffy's feats from a few weeks before were recounted was some mythological crap.

Bogard himself thinks her fruit might be more centered around blood, with the whole smelling and feeling it pumping thing. He drops the four, large tomes in front of the brat and gives her a smirk that he's _sure _will make her want to retaliate. Garp grunts again and with a 'thank you Bog!', the man finally leaves the island.

He's sure the brat is more than happy to see him mount the boat.

* * *

Luffy is sitting at the docks, her short legs swinging with her feet barely brushing the sea water. She hasn't been able to muster the courage to sit like this in weeks, following the Devil Fruit accident, but her Gramps is beside her and she knows she'll be safe no matter what. He might leave her to drown for a few seconds if he's annoyed with her, but he _will _save her anyway.

That's it, if she actually manages to take a dive with her hand enclosed around the much bigger one of her Gramps and her left side leaning against his body. Luffy thinks it might be next to impossible, more absurd than strange fruits that can give you abilities existing or talking snails. Her Gramps is pretty much the Superman of this world, and the Thor and the Spiderman and the Iron-Man too. She might tease him about Shanks, but Luffy would trade almost anything to spend more time with her Gramps like this.

He has one of Luffy's favorite books open, one which she was surprised to learn exists also in this world. Luffy turns the pages with her right hand while her Gramps reads out loud, his tone changing with enthusiasm and his voice changing in octaves whenever dialogue comes up. Luffy has a big smile on her face, as her Gramps starts making funny faces and starts braying when Pinocchio gets turned into a donkey.

Luffy knows how to read, but she still prefers it whenever her Gramps takes time to sit next to her and do it for her. It's sweet and it reminds her that she can still be a child, even if she's not supposed to be one. Her Gramps is funny and tender when he wants to be, but Luffy is not blind. While the man might act oblivious, she knows he's smart. She _knows _you have to be, if you want to climb that high up in the ranks of the Marine Corps.

Gramps has collected so many books for her over the years, most of them being tales of heroes saving villages from the bad guys, conveniently pirates. Luffy can appreciate the sweetness behind it, even if it's a bit selfish. He thinks being a Marine is the safer she could be, and he probably _is _right. If she were to become a Marine they would have her right under their control, instead of actively pursuing her to kill her should information about her lineage come out.

Luffy thinks a life lived in a safety net, under the social construction that _marines are good_, is not a life well lived. She wants freedom and adventure and treasures and a family, the so-called _nakama_, to always back her up. She can't bring herself to say it though, with her Gramps looking so happy and relaxed and her head leaning on his arm. He has that comfortable look in the eyes, the one she's able to see only when it's just the two of them and no one from the village tries to bother them.

He looks proud and content and Luffy's heart soars so high, because he can _still _feel at peace with her after knowing what she has done. Luffy knows she hasn't been confronting it. She thinks that maybe, it never really felt real until her screaming Gramps hit her with one of his infamous Fists of Love. She has eaten a devil fruit, one she still doesn't know much about and there's this fear inside her, that maybe she'll be a ticking timebomb until the day of her death. She killed someone and she doesn't regret it, there's no part of her that feels guilty about the blood sprawled on her dress and marrying her hands that day.

She feels like the entire village knows what she did, that their once neutral looks have now become scared and disgusted, but she would do it all over again if it meant disposing of a danger to her people.

The sun is setting and Luffy turns another page of the book, her hand brightened under the orange light. "Bwahaha!" laughs her Gramps and Luffy decides that there's no use worrying about things she has no answer to.

"This Pinocchio boy wouldn't be a good marine!"

Luffy chuckles along her Gramps, even if she knows the book by heart. Pinocchio is a donkey, but he will soon realize that while he has been hanging around having fun, his father worried about him. He'll save his father no matter what and that's when he'll finally become a boy of flesh and blood. "I think he's a good person," she yawns, her eyelids feeling heavy all of a sudden.

It's one of those few times where she knows she'll be able to sleep properly, her Gramps huge body around hers and the steady beating of his heart resounding in her ears.

* * *

**I dunno, at this pace I might actually never write about Grand Line? Anyways, this is it for chapter four (which is a bit shorter than normal but whatever). I have a few other updates ready, but I might go back over it and change it. I know _I still _haven't disclosed the true nature of her devil fruit and I'm sorry for that, but it seems I like this whole building tension - that it's not actually tension because ? - thing and yeah, it'll be like two chapters until you actually get a bit of more insight on the abilities of the fruit, but even then I haven't put an explanation and I _really _should get done with it, but I'm crap at dialogues. I hope you liked this chapter and please review, I like hearing ur thoughts about this story! Thank u for being so invested in this story, it has reached 1k views in less than two weeks! See u soon BBS :D**


	6. chapter 5

**Know Your Worth  
**_chapter 5_

* * *

Fleet Admiral Sengoku is easily the most infuriating person Luffy has ever met, and she thinks she has met quite a bit of fools being Garp the Fist's biological granddaughter. Said man himself being the first of many. She stares blankly at mustache-man, as her Gramps yips and yaps about some marine thing she could care less about on any normal day (much less now) and noisily eats his way through his third bag of rice crackers. There's a goat, _a goat!_, too in the room but Luffy is trying her best _not _to look at it. She might not eat them, but she doesn't get on well with animals… it might be because the ones on Dawn Island are more ferocious monsters than animals, but Luffy doesn't care enough to try and approach the bleating beast.

"What is the meaning of this?" demands Sengoku once again and Luffy, though begrudgingly in her head, can't help but agree. She _very much _wants to know it too, because being suddenly shipped off to the other ends of the world wasn't in her weekly plans.

What was on her agenda, instead, was to read some more books as her Gramps travelled back to the HQ, eat a lot of fruits and maybe hang out with Ace and Sabo more. Instead she woke up on a Sunday morning at the break of dawn, with her Gramps shouting like some kind of soldier (and Luffy ignores the voice in her head that tells her that _he is_ a soldier) and pretty much punching her head till the docks. He barely gave her time to say goodbye to Makino and hug her two new friends, before he started barking about Luffy becoming a marine and pushing her gently on the ship.

It wasn't until much later, when her Gramps finally gave in.

She hadn't been talking to him, because there was no way she was going to let this one pass as if it was just the same old crap. He _basically_ kidnapped her and decided she would become a trainee during the night! Monkey D. Garp, however, is the weakest man there is when he's met with an eerily silent (and pouting) Luffy.

"Bwahaha!" he laughs and Luffy kicks his knee. Sengoku flinches when the leg makes a loud pop and her Gramps stumble a bit, but is soon back steadily onto his two feet with a grunt. "Senny, I'm gonna train my lovely granddaughter into a fine marine for a few months!"

Sengoku stares at him and Luffy does the same, hell, she thinks even the goat is looking at him like he's the dumbest person on planet earth. Nonetheless, everything completely bypasses her Gramps and Luffy is not as surprised as she supposes she should be. Only seven years of dealing with him and she's already immune… why is the Fleet Admiral so shaken still?

"So that's why you unfairly abducted me from my home island, depriving me of my bonds and treasures for who knows how long."

Two pairs of bottomless eyes are now staring at her and Luffy is not the little bit intimidated to blink back at the Marine (she doesn't like goats though, so she makes sure not to meet the thing's creepy eyes). "You sure she's yours?" he asks and Luffy _actually _takes some pride to that. And a bit of offense, because hey! Her Gramps is really smart, he just doesn't bother showing it. She's the same, but sometimes words just flow out of her mouth.

Her Gramps laughs again though and she barely flinches when his big hand ruffles her hair, probably tearing a few from their original place. Her straw hat is hanging by a string she sewed with Makino's help, gently falling on her back. She's sure at least a few of the Marines they've met while walking their way to the office have at least _thought _of the resemblance it has with Red Haired Shanks' (and wasn't it the King's too once?) old hat, but Luffy doesn't really care. She has the power of Garp the Marine Hero on the side, who conveniently shares blood _and _a lot of puppy memories with her.

Luffy thinks she might need some luck too, because if she's gonna spend the next months training with her crazy, albeit lovely, Gramps she'll need it a lot more than blood relations.

* * *

It shouldn't come as a surprise, but Luffy isn't really able to wrap her head around it.

She remembers from the Before that a soldier's mind, while perceptibly strong, can be weakened easily in war. Soldiers in the Before go through various psychological tests, they're trained to harden their emotions during battle _and _receive help after a specific traumatic experience. The Marine Corps _are _soldiers and Luffy isn't surprised that they too have doctors with enough knowledge of the mind on their sides, what she is bewildered about, and a bit frightened too, is that _she_ is going to be seeing one of said doctors during her stay at the HQ.

Luffy, for all she's smarter than the average seven years old and has the mind of a woman past her thirties, doesn't like doctors. What she dislikes even more, however, is putting her feelings on the table, out in the open for everyone to see. She _knows _very little would stay in this room, seeing as she's a child and her Gramps, and most likely the Fleet Admiral too, will be told of her psychological profile.

"So, Luffy. How are you?" asks the shrink and Luffy stares at him impassively. He looks just like her worst nightmare, round glasses too big for his small face and eyes too big behind the lenses. His head is tiny, in a weird way, while his body is bulking with muscles. Luffy thinks he probably needed to work out, seeing as he's working with soldiers who might as well snap his neck if he poses the wrong question.

He has his coat on and a pen in his hand, an ugly notebook in the other as he gazes at her as if she's the weirdest specimen he has ever set his eyes onto. Luffy destests it.

She doesn't move her big brown orbs from his, but he doesn't concede and Luffy is starting to get bored. This battle of wills isn't going to bring neither of them to a result, so she thinks he might as well give up and decide that there's no use. He doesn't and instead grins at her like he just won the jackpot and Luffy can _feel _rage simmering in her veins, a fierce and brutal violence asking to come out.

Luffy doesn't let it, because that would mean that these sessions are called for and she doesn't want to see this man any more than needed. Which is never again after today, because Luffy doesn't _need _anything from these people.

"Well," he says and Luffy's expression is still schooled, but she hasn't felt smugger before today. "My name is Matteus, we'll be seeing each other weekly."

He gave up first and that means his mind is weak, even under the cool eyes of a seemingly harmless child. Luffy gives him a sweet smile, because it means he'll be easy to break. Maybe her stay is going to be a bit more fun than she expected.

* * *

It's been a month since Luffy has seen or heard from Makino and she's starting to become restless. Gramps didn't even leave her a Den Den Mushi to call and Luffy is not used to not seeing her sister for so long.

Training is enough during the day to keep her mind off of it, her brain focused on escaping her Gramps' wrath and dodging the hardened punches and kicks and the many weapons he throws at her blindly, but then night comes and Luffy lays on her bed in silence. Her eyes blend with the darkness, the sclera turning into a black much more obscure than the room's lights, and even with tiredness weighing down on her muscles her eyes remain wide open.

Luffy tries not to use her powers. She tries to suppress the strength and the anger that seem to lead her body and when the bed becomes too uncomfortable, she decides to get up and research even more. Not much is known about it, because that's what myths are all about. They're fictional, stories made to explain natural events that no one could ever discover much about, tales you tell children before they go to bed; _her _myth, however, is no sweet tale to tell a child and Luffy is put out by the fact that she vaguely remembers it from the Before.

A few hours before the sun starts its rise, if Luffy's body doesn't descend into sleep, she gets up and takes notes. She writes about wolves and Norse gods, of doomsdays and warriors. Luffy's brain is tired and the information she writes she never really takes in and so she drags herself to bed again.

Mornings are slow to come, but as soon as the gentle lights of the day seep in from the little window of her room, Luffy's eyes open wide and she realizes she hasn't gotten a full night's sleep this time either.

It's weird, seeing her Gramps so authoritative and yelling at the trainees of the Marine Corps while he makes them work hard for another day, but Luffy doesn't mind much. Her Gramps is harsh and his hits are painful, but after the first few weeks Luffy has gotten good enough at dodging. The proud look in her grandfather's eyes was enough for her to lose focus and the next hit had made her pass out.

"Witch," mutters Luffy when the old woman kicks her again.

Her Gramps is off to South Blue for the next two to three weeks and her training is now in Vice-Admiral Tsuru's hands. The woman isn't bad company when they're not in Luffy's training room, but as soon as they step foot into the seastone covered room the gentle smile disappears from her wrinkled face and the iron pole is back in her hands.

Luffy doesn't like training in that room. Using her powers is next to impossible and she has to pay attention on stepping on the clear parts of the pavement only, unless she wants to slump in a mess of limbs on the ground. "Get up Lu," barks the woman and Luffy growls, her eyes blending to black and gray patches appearing on her skin. Luffy charges, but Tsuru is quick to send her back to the ground. Her body weakens instantly when her bare hand touches the seastone and her skin goes back to that tanned color that is so characteristic of her, if not a bit paler now that she doesn't spend as much time under the sun.

"I would if you stopped kicking me to this damn thing!" she yells, dark brown eyes angry. Tsuru only sighs as she throws the pole to the side, quickly getting the kid up onto her feet again. The woman's eyes are set in stone as she looks her over, Luffy's shoulder length hair knotted with blood and purple and green bruises coloring her arms and legs.

"Brat it doesn't matter what devil fruit you ate, I can still kick your ass while sleeping," she comments, before walking back to her spot. "We'll stop when you make me move from this tile."

Luffy tries to reign in her anger, because _how _is she supposed to use her haki if she's being hit left and right in a room that was practically made to weaken her? She takes a deep breath, willing all negative thoughts to leave her mind. It's hard and she can almost feel her brain screaming, her body wanting to to tear every single limb of the old witch and to feel her blood under her hands. It's hard but Luffy does it anyway, because Tsuru might not be _hers_ but her Gramps likes her enough.

Luffy walks back to stand in front of Tsuru, eyes closed and shoulders relaxed. She sees it, she _feels _it before it comes and with a swift step she dodges the pole, and then a kick and then a strong punch. She dances around the woman and when there are two hits coming at the same time, Luffy stops moving and does what her Gramps told her to do.

_Take it like a real man_.

The skin of her arm blackens and she wills her haki to harden her forehead too. There's a loud clank resonating in the room as the pole breaks, but Luffy doesn't have time to think about it. She knows it, that the last thing she's supposed to do now is think, because Tsuru is a soldier with much more experience and strength than her. She feels the skin of her leg tightening, a tell-tale sign that her limb is now covered with hardening, and she kicks as strongly as she can, trying to contain the strength of her wolf so not to cripple the woman.

She opens her eyes when she hears Tsuru chuckle and Luffy can't help but grin cheekily when she notices the woman has dodged her hit, resulting in her stepping out of her usual spot. It's enough to make her jump around in joy, soon tripping on the end of the pole that has broken on her head. Her face meets one of the seastone tiles of the pavement and she can barely groan from her sudden tiredness, but the smile is still there.

* * *

Sengoku isn't too happy with the current arrangements. One of the most priced training rooms at HQ has become Garp's brat's, the girl going as far as writing her name on the door with yellow and red letters, and said kid is now sitting bored in his office.

He regrets sending Tsuru off, because now there's no one to train the demon brat unless he wants to step up and Garp won't be back for at least another two days. The brat keeps kicking his goat whenever it comes too close to her and her huge bowl of veggies and he's pretty sure that if she had Conqueror's haki on her side, she would be using it to get the animal to leave her alone.

It's a sight that Garp would no doubt find amusing, which is why Sengoku can't help but be annoyed by it. The child has been here for almost two months and she has already dominated enough control over his most trusted officers _and _their kitchen. He wonders if it comes with being a Monkey. Garp is pretty much the same and the girl's father is close to being dubbed the most dangerous man on the planet with his later shenanigans.

Her receiving haki training so soon? He's a bit scared at the prospect of letting her leave his sight. "Yo," she says and Sengoku looks up from the pile of papers he's been reading. "You know of my Pops, don't you?" she asks in a bored voice and Sengoku stills. He was sure Garp hadn't talked about her father to her, but maybe it slipped out. God help him, a lot of things slip out of that damned man's mouth.

Sengoku nods, his eyes narrowed. In the past two months, he has come to the conclusion that while the marine dress wearing brat is similar to Garp, she's also the most different person there is to the old marine. She doesn't think with her stomach, much to his surprise, nor with her fists. She has the uncanny ability to _actually _ponder her words, her sentences and questions often leading to other people spitting out the truth at her. Top that off with the stupid charisma of the Monkey family and you have a seven year old threat sitting in his office, with dark eyes staring so deeply at him that she might as well be looking through his soul.

"Brat, why did your grandfather decide to start training you _now_?" he asks instead of answering her previous question. Her eyes narrow a bit and for a second he worries his attempt of diverging didn't work, but then she smiles cheekily at him and his heart relaxes.

"Ah, the one hundred million beris question," she mutters boredly and Sengoku stares at her for a few seconds. He has seen with his own eyes how Garp's behaviour changes when in the vicinity of his granddaughter, how his eyes turn a bit more softer and his resolution hardens even more. He trains her ruthlessly and patches her up with the care of a loving parent and Sengoku, for all he knows the man like the back of his own hand, can't understand it. "Maybe the Mayor got too scared."

He's quick to repace himself. He can't believe he's letting this brat have so much power over him. With a sigh and a shake of his head, he throws one of the, now hardened, erasers at her forehead. Her _ouch!_ falls to deaf ears as he continues to read over the reports.

* * *

**This sucks majorly and I will probably regret posting this chapter for life :D! Thank u all sm for the many favorites and followings, I hope you could enjoy this chapter even with the truly sucky writing I did. Please leave some reviews! I'll see u all sometime next week w the bday "special".**


	7. chapter 5,5: birthday special!

**Know Your Worth  
**_chapter 5.5: birthday special!_

* * *

Sabo is half tempted to throw his friend down a river.

Ace has been grunting and moaning for three days straight, since he has related Luffy's invitation to him, and Sabo is _so _close, so really fucking close, to go by himself. He knows he can't, because Luffy expressed the want to see them both there and Ace is being a brat for no reason whatsoever.

When Sabo stumbled upon the natural pool the boys had played at with Luffy, he was surprised to see her there with her tiny nose buried in a book. There were three others surrounding her, all opened at different pages and what looked like a notebook with a lot of scribblings on it. Sabo had gone there to take a bath, because while bathing at the river is convenient because of its vicinity to the Gray Terminal, there are still too many alligators crawling in the water.

Luffy hadn't noticed him and he had to yell her name quite a few times before she moved her eyes from the page, a frown on her face. He felt a bit offended. Had she heard him and simply ignored him? He didn't even _know _Foosha village had a school.

"Ah, Sabo!" she smiled then and Sabo understood that no, she was not ignoring him. She was simply too immersed in whatever she was reading. He _could _relate, somehow. He too had a liking for books and his curiosity would still spike up, after months of living in _and _with trash, whenever a good book was brought under his eyes. Sabo grinned back and paled a bit when Luffy, even with no poisonous berries hazing her mind, stuck a tiny finger in the hole made from his missing tooth.

"_Wow_," she gaped and Sabo _wasn't _really sure what she was wow-ing about. "I've already changed all my teeth, look!" Sabo laughed as she made a huge display of showing him her teeth, all pearly whites and strangely pointy canines. He blushed a bit, because her finger was still tickling his gums, but heaved in relief when she took her hand back and started cleaning it on the grass.

"What 're ya reading there?" he asked and Luffy sobered up quickly, but her eyes started glinting and Sabo was once again reminded of a puppy just like days before. He was sure that if she had a tail it would be wagging like crazy. "It's books 'bout myths and gods and beasts and 'ts so cool!" she gushed as Sabo sat beside her. He nodded just at the right parts of her stories and soon after Luffy was gushing about completely different things, like her grandfather coming back for the first time in more than a year for her seventh birthday and her only caretaker finally not being sick anymore, or how she tried to take a sip of her Gramps' alcohol but was punched on the head.

Sabo thought the story reminded him of something, but left it alone when Luffy spoke again.

"Hey Sabo, wanna come to my birthday party? Ace too!" Sabo stayed silent and Luffy must had taken it as an invitation to speak more. "There'll be just me and Gramps and Maki anyways, and you two are funny guys."

Sabo ended up saying yes, and that brought him to now.

Ace is still grumbling, going as far as dragging his feet, while they make their way to Foosha village. They have their pipes with them and Sabo has put together a gift from the both of them. It's a book he and Ace stole from Edge town, a fictional story with a lot of mythology in it because Sabo figured she would like it. Ace's eye is ticking and Sabo is a bit worried he might get stuck with it, but he sighs with relief once they finally get out of the dense forest and set foot in Foosha.

'Party's Bar' is easy enough to find, the village being really tiny. Sabo notices how there's a letter missing from the sign outside, but he only groans when he has to physically drag his friend inside. He swears, if he doesn't stop acting younger than even Luffy is he'll bash his head in with his pipe.

"Stop being an idiot!" he yells and Ace visibly deflates, a pout on his lips. As they enter, Sabo spots Luffy instantly. She's sitting at one of the tables with a green haired woman, wearing one of her dresses and hugging her straw hat to her chest. The two are talking loudly, but they still notice them.

Luffy's face _literally _lights up and he thinks there are stars and flowers growing all around her head, but the sight disappears as he blinks. "Sabo, Ace!" she yells as she jumps over to them. Sabo accepts her hug easily, but from the corner of his eye he can see Ace tense. Luffy either doesn't notice or she completely ignores it, and Sabo figures it's the latter.

"Come, my Gramps is cooking! He's way better than Makino is," she whispers theatrically. The green haired woman, Makino he figures, hears her and gasps in fake hurt, but she still takes it in stride when the three approach her. Luffy introduces them and Sabo thinks he has never heard a weirder presentation in his life. "This is Sabo and he's my friend and did ya know he likes books? And this is Ace, he blushes cutely!"

Ace is blushing again though and Sabo lets out a loud laugh, because it's always funny to see his friend in red. Makino smiles and greets them sweetly and now Sabo is blushing too, because the woman looks positively sweet and mother-like.  
A clatter is heard from a room behind the counter and Sabo figures that's Luffy's grandfather making a mess of things. Soon enough a huge man, all ripped muscles and salt and pepper hair and huge smiles, comes out from the room and he can see Ace pale visibly.

Sabo is confused and Makino is too, but the blond still has the feeling that Luffy _knows _exactly what is happening.

"Shitty geezer?!"

* * *

Makino knows she would probably be the object of Shanks' teasing if he knew, but she can't help but feel her heart soar higher in her chest today. It's Luffy's birthday and for the first time in two years, the girl's grandfather has _actually _taken time off of work to come visit and spend the week with her.

The teenager knows Luffy loves her grandfather dearly, going as far as to missing a fruit bowl if it's time for their weekly call. That means he is _really really really _important to her! After all, Luffy never misses her bowls unless she's sleeping (and even then, Makino thinks the little girl would be able to eat them).

Makino looks around her bar, thinking that maybe she went a little overboard with the preparatives. But it's Luffy's birthday! It's a special occasion, even more so since she _invited _other people too. Makino is excited about that. Somehow, though, her stomach drops and anxiety starts pooling off of her. Luffy has never had any friend besides Shanks and his crew. It's a bit worrying, in all reality, but she knows it's because even while being a pretty open child, she's selective with her company. The idea that she finally found some friends make her blood boil in happiness, but what if Luffy decides to forget her? Those thoughts don't matter now, because it's her birthday today. So, Makino decides that while it _could _look like too much, the red and blue banners spelling her name and the yellow balloons almost making it impossible to see out of the windows are just what it's needed for tonight.

Luffy is sitting silently at one of the tables and Makino almost lets out a laugh at the sight. Her knees are jittering and she's half worried the child could develop a nervous tick, but it's refreshing to see Luffy like this. Makino is so focused on staring at Luffy, her little sister, that she doesn't notice Garp talking to her. Luffy is looking at her amused, as usual, and for the hell of her she can't get _why_. She's been banned from the kitchen for the night, after all, so she hasn't burned anything past edibility. Not that it happens _that _often, Makino has actually learned how to cook. Luffy just holds weird grudges in the most teasing and sweet of ways.

"Maki?" she calls her and Makino thinks she should be a bit embarrassed of the way she sprung up from her position, almost at Luffy's back and call. Eh, maybe she _would _be a good captain. Or maybe not, Makino doesn't know much about pirates and seas, she's just happy Luffy has found her own dream. "Luffy! Do you want some fruit?" she asks, already gripping at one of the apples so that she could cut it in nice rabbit slices for Luffy. The little girl chuckles and Makino thinks that on this day, the sound is ten times lighter. Her heart fills a bit more and she's a lot more less scared. "No," she says and Makino can't help but be surprised. Luffy might not be a scary eater like her grandfather, but she _does _eat a lot, even if it's mainly fruit and greens. "But Jii-chan has been standing beside you for the past five minutes."

Makino blushes madly and shamefully bows her head, giving Garp enough space to get everything he needed to start cooking the party dinner. Maybe standing around is not the best of ideas.

* * *

Luffy has never been _this _happy.

After the initial awkwardness (and the scare on Ace's part at seeing her Gramps), they all sit around one of the tables talking and eating and drinking. Gramps tries to make her eat meat and she decides to give in, just to see that happy look in his eyes. Her Gramps is a good cook anyways, much better than Makino is. The meat is good but she still doesn't go crazy for it, so she's more than happy when after a sigh her Gramps shoves the remaining meat from her plate (which is much emptier than the ones from the three, rowdy males) in his mouth and instead gives her a bowl of fruit and cucumbers.

Ace looks at her weirdly, because how can anybody dislike meat? But Luffy smiles cheekily and he blushes again and Luffy knows he has probably already forgotten her 'peculiar' diet. Sabo and Ace and Gramps are shoving food in their mouth like it's a race and while Luffy might find it disgusting, she can help but laugh happily along with Makino when she sees it today.

"Hey Luffy," talks Ace and he's still chewing, pieces of meat and pasta falling from his mouth. Luffy covers her fruit bowl with her hand, but still gives him her undivided attention. For a few seconds, anyway. "Where're your parents?"

Luffy sees Sabo's glare but ignores it. She has no qualms about answering and she gives the one answer she knows it's true in her heart. "Don't have them," she says, before biting another piece of cucumber. Gramps laughs at that though, that type of laugh that is so loud and unique and it sounds like it's exploding from right inside him, and punches both her and her soon-to-be brother in the head. Ace winces and cries in pain, while Luffy continues to eat her fruit.

Either her Gramps doesn't try as much with her, or she _really _has some crazy pain tolerance. She hopes it's the latter, but the first wouldn't displease her either.

"Of course you have parents, Luffy!" he bellows and Luffy stares at him. Her face is blank, just enough to get her Gramps to sober up, as she speaks. "I don't see 'em, so I don't have 'em."

He pouts at her and Luffy is reminded once again of a child, but soon enough everyone finished eating and hell, Luffy thought this moment would never come. Makino is the first to give her a present and Luffy starts screaming and jumping and running around when she sees a nice red dress, with a flowy skirt and puffy short sleeves. Makino gives her a black cape with it and Luffy's eyes start sprinkling, because she finally has her very own Captain cape.

Then it's Gramps turn and he ends up giving a Marine dress, and while Luffy _knows _she's never going to turn out a Marine, the dress is still really cute. She doesn't expect her two new friends to have brought anything, but when Sabo clears his throat and Ace shoves a book at her she has the biggest smile on her face. She blushes and hugs it close to herself, muttering 'thank you' all over. The boys are tense when she engulfs them in a hug, but Luffy doesn't really care.

She has never received gifts from anyone but Makino and Gramps, and even then the gifts were either dresses or knick knacks from the Marine Corps. Even when knowing her for only a couple a weeks at most, the two boys have already given her birthday present more thought than anyone else ever did.

"My three little marines!" exclaims her Gramps and Luffy rolls her eyes. Ace's reaction is much more noisy than hers though, as he points a finger at Gramps and grits his teeth. "Hell no, Sabo and I will be pirates!" Soon enough both boys are running around the pub, her Gramps following them as Luffy laughs. "Luffy, you'll be a marine, won't you?" he asks with a pout and Luffy grins, too happy to _actually _think her words.

"Nah, I'll be the King of Pirates!"

That night, when Luffy sleeps on her bed with Ace and Sabo draped over them, the three of them having identical bumps on their foreheads from her Gramps' fists, Luffy decides that she'll protect those two boys with everything she has.

Ace and Sabo become _hers _on her seventh birthday and Luffy falls asleep with a smile on her face.

* * *

**This came later than I said it would because I thought it's practically May, might as well wait for Luffy's birthday to post it! So yeah, Happy birthday to Luffy(s, both of 'em). It's not much interactions wise, I'm really crappy with dialogues. I wonder from what _that _problems stems from now, but whatever. Hope you liked this little thing, I'll post a chapter soon :D!**


	8. chapter 6

**Know Your Worth  
**_chapter 6_

* * *

"I refuse!"

Luffy ignores her Gramps' chuckles, instead focusing on sending her deathly glare in the Fleet Admiral's direction. She doesn't dare look at her side, when three men are standing with three different expressions on their faces. One of them looked bored, the other has a bitch face one and the third… Ah, Luffy feels so sorry for the third. It must be hard, living with a face like that.

"Brat, I can't keep your grandfather and Tsuru stationed here forever!" yells Sengoku and Luffy can feel the power simmer under her skin, a growl escaping her lips. Her now elongated canines are gritted, red irises glaring even _harder _at the man. She's sure she's not a pretty sight, because she never is when the beast part of her comes out, but she's not taking any more of his crap right now. Her Gramps is back and Tsuru is too, they haven't been here for a week yet and he already wants to send them back out?

She would be ok with it, if it didn't meant she would have to train with Dumb, Dumber and absolutely Homicidal standing there, a few feet from her. Plus her Gramps has returned only five days ago and they spent their whole time together training, with no breaks. She _needs _to spend time with him, before she goes crazy.

"It's not forever!" she cries back, willing big fat tears to wet her eyes. Crying on command has become easier and Sengoku, for all he acts unbreakable, has turned out to have a pretty big soft spot for crying children. Especially if they looked like her, with a marine sundress on and eyes so big they could swallow the entire world.

"Well I don't care! You're training with them and that's final!"

And he's back to being unbreakable.

Her Gramps lets out a cry at that, quickly scooping her up in his big arms. Luffy grumbles and she can see the curious looks of the three Admirals, or future admirals, she doesn't really know, from the corner of her eye. She _knows _are back to that obsidian black, with the irises taking the color's of blood and the room's temperature falling abruptly.

"Luffy, why don't you want to stay with them?" asks her Gramps and Luffy calms down, moving her eyes from the unflinching form of the Fleet Admiral. "Because Jii-chan," she whines shamelessly, turning on her ever-working charms on her Gramps. "That one looks like he's constantly sleeping and that one looks like he wants to kill me!"

"Eh, what about me?" asks Borsalino and Luffy grimaces. "I wish he didn't look at all. Jii-chan he's so ugly, what if I get infected?" she pouts, blinking at her Gramps face. The man laughs and even the ever so icy Kuzan smirks, but Luffy can't find it in herself to care. She's not serious, but she _really _doesn't want to show any of her future enemies (because they _will _be enemies when she becomes King, that's a certainty) her still unripe abilities. Her haki isn't that good and she has barely tapped into it, she has only started getting comfortable with her devil fruit and, hell, she's scared of them.

In the past seven years, Luffy has never been scared of people. She is scared of being alone, and that one day Makino will realize that she's beyond saving, and that Ace and Sabo will leave her and, ah, she's _so _frightened of her Gramps choosing his job over her once she'll set sail as a pirate. But the three new men in the room _are _horrifying. Even her fruit, on which she has developed a, if not good, then at least stable control over the past two months, isn't answering to her anymore now that she's under their chilling presence.

She doesn't want to spent a month _training_ with them. Not when she knows, oh she knows, that even while training her they'll be analyzing her, discovering her weaknesses one by one and creating tactics in their heads to dispose of her should the moment come. And she knows that the moment will come, because she maintains her promises and there's nothing in this world that will ever stop her from becoming the freest person of the Seas.

But they're scary.

"The real reason, Lu," says Tsuru when her Gramps stops laughing and Luffy swallows the bile she can feel pooling in her mouth. She's a good liar, but it seems like those three men are able to erase even _that_. She stammers a bit and she can feel the blush coloring her cheeks. Her Gramps awes and Luffy punches his shoulder with haki, adding as much strength as possible _without _dislodging her Gramps limb. He groans and a _crack! _resonates in the room, but soon enough he's patting the pain away with a proud smile. Luffy will never get over how much of a masochist he is, but she has been through enough training sessions to know that it's a family trait.

"I don't wanna leave Jii-chan again," she mutters and no one thinks it's a lie, because it isn't. The sole idea of being away from her Gramps for a full month _and _stuck in the same place as the three monsters makes her want to cry, because if she has developed some kind of relationship with both Tsuru and the Fleet Admiral, she knows her Gramps is the only one that will be on her side. He's the one who would protect her hands down from the three admirals and Luffy doesn't want him to leave her.

She likes training with him, even if it cuts down the time they could spend together either sleeping or reading. He's harsh and strong and never gives her favoritism, but as soon as night rolls in he takes care of her bruises, makes sure to give her her fruit and then tucks her in to bed. He hugs her before that and kisses her soundly on her forehead, patting at her head with that affectionate smiles she adores so much.

If _both _Tsuru and Gramps go away, she'll be left in the care of no one.

"Luffy, what about a deal?" says her Gramps and Luffy looks up, her dark eyes taking in the gentle smile of her grandfather. She nods slightly, brimming with curiosity. "I'll be away for three weeks, a month tops and you'll train with them. When I come back, we're going back home and I'll stay with you for a week!"

Luffy knows it's not a good deal. It's not a deal at all, because she's giving up a _month_ with her Gramps in favor of a measly week, but she doesn't want him to get annoyed with her. Luffy knows his job is important for him and he is one of the few marines she knows she'll always look up to. "Can't Senny train me?" she asks, using her Gramps' nickname for the Fleet Admiral. Said man splutters a bit behind her, but she ignores his existence all together.

Her Gramps shakes his head and Luffy sighs, resigned. She stares up at the three admirals and her face changes again, schooled back into an impassive expression. "I'll be in your care," she mutters, before silently leaving the room.

* * *

Matteus has easily won the position as _Most Annoying Man in the Headquarters_ two weeks in their meetings. Her initial idea of him being weak and easily breakable was crumbled at around the same time too, the realization that she was being played by the man punching her in the face like one of her Gramps' misplaced Fists of Love.

"Draw your feelings!" he prods at her and Luffy glares at him, her dark eyes trying to torch his entire body on fire. And possibly stab him in the heart a few times too. Limb mutilation might be a bit too much, but she's not turning her back to the idea just yet.

"You haven't given me a pen," she deadpans and the man gapes at her, a teasing smile soon tugging at his lips. Luffy _hates _it. "So she speaks!" Yes, Luffy really loathes the man before her. He throws her a marker swiftly and when Luffy sees that he still has no intention of giving her a piece of paper, she decides she's still young enough to act like a brat and get away with it.

She feels Matteus' overly big blue eyes follow her as she stands up from her chair, her feet silent as she approaches one of the walls. She smiles at him, all plastic sweetness masking irritation and a dangerous temper, and uncaps the marker. "What should I draw?" she asks him and he seems too happy, too accomplished to care about the fact that she's going to draw on his studio's pristine walls.

Well, good for him.

"Whatever you feel! We'll continue talking as you draw though, alright?" he pipes up and Luffy nods blankly, uncaring. She starts her drawing and covers it with her tiny body as he starts asking questions. "How's training with the Admirals going?" he inquires and Luffy has a feeling it's more for personal curiosity than anything else. She shrugs, but relents with a sigh when she can still feel his creepy eyes on her back.

"'Ts mostly with Popsicle. Bulldog and Homicidal don't like me much, can't say why." She starts to shade her drawing, a keen eye observing her work. She has always been an amazing artist and putting it to work for society, such as she is now, has always seemed like a good idea. It feels like she's doing good for the world, creating such amazing art for the joy of others.

"Do you think you might have done something to…" he stops, as if trying to find the right words not to tick her off. Him thinking she even did anything to begin with isn't helping him, but Luffy ignores it anyway. "Hm, annoy them?" Luffy looks up at that and angles her head, so that Matteus can still see her pensive look _without _taking a peek at her drawing.

A few minutes of silence passes and Luffy knows, because she has been counting the seconds in her head since she had came in through the door. It's been one thousand and nine hundreds seconds she has stepped in the room, which means their thirty five minute session is almost done. "Nope. I've been my most lovable self to them," she grins, writing her name in a nice cursive just by her graffiti. "After all, I wouldn't want to anger the admirals, now would I?"

She steps back just as the timer on the desk rings. Matteus is too busy staring at the middle finger she has expertly drawn to give her her goodbyes and Luffy leaves the room eagerly, a satisfied smile on her face.

* * *

Luffy is angry.

Luffy is angry because this damned man is _actually _good company. He sits in her room with her, looking the many notes about her abilities and haki she has jotted down over the past couple of months. Kuzan's long legs are crossed and his expression is bored, but his eyes are so awake that Luffy is actually scared to talk.

"These are a mess," he comments and Luffy grimaces, because he's right. She's not good at taking notes, her organization next to non-existent. The sentences are unlinked, different colors highlighting completely opposite things but even Luffy herself doesn't get much what she has written. She is reminded of the Before, where she would cram for a few hours before an important exam and then erase whatever knowledge she had acquired during the night from her brain.

She hums, closing her eyes and going back to her meditation. Shanks had told her, months before, that meditation would actually be a great helper in understanding her devil fruit better. She doesn't know how he can have any idea, seeing as he's the second best swimmer she has ever met (the first being her Gramps) but she figures he's just cool like that. She opens her eyes suddenly when she feels Kuzan's movement, his sleepy but aware eyes observing her in what she thinks might be curiosity. She doesn't have time to hide the blush that marred her cheeks with the thought of Shanks, and then the most out of character, absurd thing happens.

Kuzan, Admiral Aokiji, Ice-Man himself… teases her.

"Oh, are you thinking about someone special Luffy?"

Luffy gapes at him, her cheeks still in a blush and eyes wide. What. The. Fuck. Has. Just. Happened? Kuzan's expression is as blank as always and his voice is still tired, but Luffy knows, she knows, the man is currently teasing the crap out of her and she doesn't know how to answer. She splutters and he arches a brow at her, and Luffy thinks about Shanks again and her blush burns even harder than before. This isn't supposed to happen! This man should be stoic, mean and a complete slave driver! He should be scary, so why is he making fun of her out of the blue?

"I- Uhm… N-no?" she stammers and she almost cringes at the loud clap of his hands, barely catching the amusement in his eyes. "So, who's the lucky kid?" he asks and Luffy can't stop her mouth from _fucking _running its course and of course, _of course_, she pretty much signes her death sentence.

Her voice is offended, like he has actually said something mean and absurd to her but Luffy can't help it. "A kid? Shanks is no kid, he's the greatest man alive!" she yells and her tiny hands are quick to cover her now pressed shut mouth, an even warmer sensation tinkling over her face. Kuzan doesn't look surprised, he probably heard that the infamous Red Hair has went on vacation in East Blue, coincidentally where _she_ is from, but Luffy feels really in danger right now.

Nonetheless, the next days of training hit a bit more harder than usual.

* * *

Luffy is gripping at Kuzan's hand strongly, as she silently observes the other two admirals sparring. Her training is officially done and her Gramps is in Sengoku's office. Over the past month, she has become _scarily _close to the sleepy marine, so much that she would often startle him by out of the blue hugs or, like right now, holding his hand.

While she is still very much aware that the man beside her could kill her with a flick of his pinky finger, he's much more docile than the other two. Maybe it's a bit her fault too, because she's never given Borsalino her time of the day and Sakazuki had refused to even step in the training room with her. She's glad he did that though, because he's easily the scariest of the bunch, with his idea of Absolute Justice and the knowledge that if he knew about her lineage she would be already a splatter of blood on one of the HQ's walls.

Her haki has gotten extremely better in the past month, but she knows she's nowhere near at having them mastered. Especially considering she _still _hasn't unlocked her Conqueror. If she has it, that's it. After all, it's a matter of wills and while she _is _strong willed, she's no where near the level of hardheadedness the original Luffy had been. She's a bit put off, at how in the past months her life has taken a complete turn over. She had thought that there was some kind of law of the universe, directing her life to go the same way of the boy she once admired and whose life she has unceremoniously stolen, but now she isn't so sure anymore.

She flinches when the entire world seems to start trembling, as the two men exchange powerful blows. Even like this though, she knows they aren't going all out. They have hints of smiles on their faces and their eyes looks content, even as a blackened fist throws Borsalino to a wall and Sakazuki's leg cedes under one of his companion's strong kicks.

Luffy quickly unclasps her hand from Kuzan's when she feels her Gramps approach, running towards him with a big grin on her face. She is _so _happy. They're going to spend the best two weeks ever together and Luffy's entire being is shaking in her boots. Well, sandals. She has already planned so much! They can spend time with Ace and Sabo and Makino and sleep all together like on the night of her birthday, and they can play around the jungle of Mt. Corvo and play some pranks on Mayor Woop Slap!

Her Gramps is quick to catch her as she throws herself in his arms, a loud laugh shaking his chest and Luffy places a hand over his beating heart. She can feel the rhythmic beat behind his chest and the flowing of healthy, strong blood in it and Luffy chuckles along her Gramps.

Soon enough her Gramps is barking at the still sparring admiral, dragging her out of the Marine Headquarters. Kuzan is waving at them and Luffy smiles brightly in his direction, excited to be heading back to her hometown. "Luffy, how was training the past month?" asks her Gramps as Bogard prepares the boat. Luffy ignores his existence as usual, even if she's a bit happy to see him doing well. After all, even if Bogard _is _annoying, he's most likely one of the main reasons her Gramps keeps coming back unscathed to her despite his stupidity and recklessness.

Her Gramps gives her a sheepish smile when she glares at him. "You promised. No training talk. You're on vacation." She barks hotly and her Gramps sighs with a pout.

They spend the next few days playing cards and throwing cannon balls at each other, all under the baffled gaze of a very creeped out Bogard. Luffy thinks she might do it more often if it means getting out a reaction like that from him again.

* * *

**A lot of OOCness and abit of I-dont-know-anymore! I've written this with the first chapters but _I still don't know where I was going_. I don't really like it but I don't really hate it, so yeah. Nothing's there plot-wise execpt the fact that she has these encounters, but hopefully you'll forgive me with next one! Please _review_ as I really appreciate to see your comments on this and I always take them intp mind when writing something! Happy Mother's day, I'll see u soon!**

**EDIT: ah . its the old v of the chapter and theres a few bits ab Luffy changing faces and everything. I mean that's what I was planning for the fruit at first but then I kinda changed my mind cause I didn't want her to be OP you know so yeah. Sorry 'bout that :D**


	9. chapter 7

**Words count: 5561.**

* * *

**Know Your Worth  
**_chapter 7_

* * *

_The realization that some things are bound to happen is hard on Luffy. She feels like there's a hole in her heart, a hole that might never be filled again. It's deep and dark and her haywire mind isn't leaving her alone, the smell of fire and blood and death vivid._

* * *

Luffy had never been happier to see her home island. For all that it was worth, even with its huge ferocious animals and deep ravines her Gramps occasionally shoved her into, Dawn Island was the most beautiful sight she had seen since a bit before the beginning of summer.

As the final week of August was just behind the corner, Luffy was wearing one of her favorite yellow dresses. Luffy _adored _the summer, even if the ones she spent in Foosha the past years were slower than it was normally acceptable for a primarily fishing village. Still, summers weren't as slow as their winters, because there were some people from the neighbouring islands who actually deemed Dawn good enough as a vacation spot. Luffy knew it was because of their kingdom, but she didn't care much.

It was always an otherworldly experience to help Makino behind the bar when customers entered, asking what their specialities were and where they could do this and that in the nice, quiet village of Foosha. Luffy had been bitter for a while now, because of her Gramps she had missed the busiest months Foosha had in the year and now that they were back, it was the end of the season.

Still, all of that was forgotten when Luffy saw the familiar figure of Makino standing at the docks, waiting for them to finally arrive. Luffy had thrown herself over the railing as fast as she could, ignoring the shouts of her Gramps, all in favor of hugging her older sister again.

She miscalculated the distance and ended up taking a dive, but true enough ten minutes later she was sitting at _her _stool at Party's Bar with a fresh bowl of fruits before her and a white and blue towel on her head, Makino's hand gripping hers and the most beautiful smile she had ever seen stretching her lips.

* * *

Luffy was a bit sad to know that neither Ace nor Sabo had went to welcome her back. She knew they didn't see her as more than her Gramps' granddaughter, and maybe Ace hated her a bit for that too. Still, they _did _go to her birthday dinner and they _did _bunk in the same bed that night, so maybe they simply didn't know they were coming back?

Makino said they didn't visit at all though and Luffy couldn't help but be bitter about it.

When her Gramps said that they would spend a few days in the jungle, for _wilderness training_, Luffy had put on a pout but was actually excited. While they might had come for her birthday only because Sabo had seen how lonely she was, because yes, Luffy felt lonely, _now _they would have proper time to bond! She could convince her Gramps to drag Ace and Sabo into their training too, if he wasn't already thinking about it.

They climbed Mount Corvo and soon enough her Gramps was running around, yelling of _marines _and _good soldiers _and Luffy was chuckling to herself. Leave it to her grandfather to scare two children to death in a matter of seconds. She waited by the big tree he had left her at, leaning on the balls of her feet as she silently gazed at the nature around her.

The jungle was amazing. Luffy had never strayed too much from her special spot, too scared of diving too deep into the landscape and accidentally end up in a part of the island she wasn't supposed to be in. There were far too many overgrown animals in this jungle for Luffy to feel possibly at ease _before _her three-months training period and her first and only experience a bit deeper into the jungle had ended up with her eating poisonous berries and dragging her two future brothers into a mess of a chase.

She was shaken out of her admiration when her Gramps' loud footsteps stopped before her, dragging two familiar boys with only one hand. Luffy was actually a bit proud of her boys for resisting her Gramps' grip for so long, but it was inevitable for them to be caught at was just how things worked and hell, she feared the day he would be chasing her out at sea.

Their eyes widened when they saw her standing there and Luffy bit back a smirk at their ridiculous expression, deciding on putting on a pout when her Gramps threw her off of her feet easily. "Jii-chan!" she yelled at him and he gave a boisterous laugh as she linked her hands around his head, making sure not to fall from the spot on his shoulder.

What was supposed to be _wilderness training_ ended up being a nice dinner around an open fire. Luffy stared at the cooked boar with a frown, but still sighed and bit at it. It had become obvious in the past months that she couldn't keep her mostly vegetarian diet going on, not with a beast for a grandfather and the enormous amounts of energy needed for the strenuous training he had put her through. Plus, her devil fruit kind of expected her to. It was hard to understand, but because of her fruit she would now salivate at the thought of meat. Didn't mean she would accept it openly any time soon.

"You eat meat now?" asked Sabo and Luffy shrugged, a disgusted frown on her lips. It wasn't like she _wanted _to, but her body had started to become steadily stronger since her change in dietary and she couldn't really _imagine _a wolf being a vegetarian. Especially not one as big as hers. The beast part of her, the one given to her by her devil fruit, sang and roared in joy whenever she ate another animal.

"She has to!" boasted her Gramps and Luffy tried not to scowl at him. The boys didn't know about her devil fruit and she didn't want them to. Luffy didn't care about other people's misconceptions about her, she never did; but the sole idea of either Ace or Sabo seeing her differently because of the damned abilities made her want to crawl in a hole and cry her heart out.

That night Luffy decided that it was a bit sickening, how bad she had already claimed the two ten years old as hers.

* * *

_Luffy is clutching her straw hat, tear tracks visible on her cheeks but her eyes are dry now. She has already cried enough to possibly dehydrate herself to death and ah, Luffy hasn't cried in so long._

* * *

The first meeting with Dadan the bandit was all and nothing like Luffy had imagined it. The woman was as much as a rowdy, burly half giant as her increasingly fuzzy memories provided, but she was still so different that Luffy had to wait a few seconds before she connected the dots.

Her orange curls were frizzy and oily, her skin tan with clear signs of a sunburn on her face and arms and, _wait for it_, she had a boxer nose. Luffy thought she might had been staring at the deformed nose a bit too much, because soon enough the woman was glaring at her and yelling and _gosh_, wasn't she loud! Her voice was booming and deep and Luffy's sensitive ears twitched at the sound.

The cigarette pressed between her thin lips seemed never ending and Luffy _really _wanted to know how that worked, because they had been staring at each other for minutes now and the thing still hadn't burned itself out. Her nose twitched, the smell making her want to sneeze.

"This is Luffy, my granddaughter," introduced her Gramps and Luffy stood silently, her head tilted cutely as she gazed at the woman. She waited for the woman to crumble under her eyes and, true enough, Dadan started sweating and clenching her big hands after a few seconds of maintaining eye contact. Her Gramps laughed loudly at that and patted her on the head and, under the baffled looks of the three bandits (and Ace, Luffy could sense him just a few meters away from them), Luffy nuzzled into her grandfather's hand.

After eating her devil fruit, physical contact had became almost _vital _to Luffy. It was a bit annoying to feel herself nuzzle and and to act like a second grade dog every now and then, but she never paid it too much attention when it was with her Gramps. She had always liked hugging the man, after all. Pats on the head weren't that different, if a bit downgrading.

"Nice to meet ya, Miss Bandit," Luffy said, trying to get in the woman's good graces as soon as possible. While she had started eating her meat, something her grandfather was extremely proud of, she wasn't too keen on hunting animals. She liked to confront them and battle with them, but killing them was downright _mean _to her. That and she was scared she couldn't get a hold of her wolf soon enough and go on a rampage on pretty much the whole jungle and, maybe, even the nearest town. She knew Foosha wasn't the nearest, so even if that happened she figured it wouldn't really be a great loss on her part, but better safe than sorry.

"Hi kid, I- Wait, no!" she yelled suddenly and Luffy sighed, a bit put out. Her Gramps' sole presence was ruining her plans of eat, play, sleep and repeat. If she ended up having to hunt her own fucking dinner she was going to hold the biggest grudge of the century.

Luffy ignored her Gramps demands to the bandits and instead headed to the tree where she could sense Ace sitting, instantly looking up at him. The boy grunted at her but a blush appeared when she smiled sweetly. "Hey Ace, you live with them?" she asked even if she already knew the answer. The boy nodded silently and Luffy tried to bite back a smile.

Ace could try and hide it as much as he wanted, but if she thought she saw a pout on those lips of his then she saw it. _  
_

* * *

Annoying.

That was the only way Luffy could describe her new living situation. The bandits weren't completely bad and when her Gramps let it out that she was the one who killed Higuma, they even became _docile _but if Luffy had to sit through another dinner of plain rice and a glass of water she would snap.

Dadan, for all she clearly had already developed a soft spot for her, wasn't letting her go easy. The first few days, Luffy decided she would actually listen to the woman and help out in the house. It took her around seventy-eight hours, but Luffy was now officially banned from cooking, washing the dishes, cleaning the house _and _making her own bed.

The last one was upsetting, because she didn't mean to throw the pillow to the side _that _hard. But also, her strength wasn't easy to control, what with it being mythical and absolutely infinite. Kind of. Luffy wasn't sure, she didn't even _know _if she could test it out fully.

Thing was, she threw the pillow to the side and window broke. Dadan came in yelling and Dogra had to hold the woman back from kicking her in the butt and so, it had been decided that Luffy would _not _help in the house, no matter how much she wanted to.

Which wasn't very much to begin with, but still.

That brought her to now. While Ace and her had begun their friendship or whatever it was supposed to be with the right foot, the raging boy _still _disappeared in the jungle way before she woke up and left her to try and track his steps to wherever it was that he went. And it wasn't easy, not with the rancid smell enveloping a good third of the jungle and with his own scent confusing itself with the one of trash, rotten food and escrements.

Luffy groaned, calling forth her devil fruit power to at least _try _and track him out properly, but the smell was so strong that tears sprung to her eyes and she started sneezing. Once, twice, three times and at the fourth her sneezes didn't matter much because there were more pressing matters, like a scary big tiger staring right at her.

"Fuck."

* * *

_It's all a mess in there, angry thoughts eating at her and guilt brimming in her suddenly too old and tired heart. It's her fault, because she's supposed to know about these things. She's supposed to be able to protect her important people, to fight for them and instead she has let death, something she supposedly has control over, take her brother from her._

_There's blood dropping from her lips, her sharp canines biting at them as a sob shakes her shoulders once again. It's not fair._

* * *

Luck was meant to play a huge role in her life, but Luffy had the tiny feeling that she was probably the most unlucky person on Earth (or whatever name this world had).

A huge tiger that was probably bigger than a warship? No problem, Luffy could take it out easily with a bit of observation haki and probably a third of her devil fruit strength. A bear just as big and with eyes just as hungry? Same thing.

Both of them, together?

Luffy wanted to _run_. Well, she probably _could _take them both, but wouldn't that completely break any law of Physics in existence? Even if she _tried _to punch one of them or throw them away from her, wouldn't her arms break under the massive weight of these beasts?

Luffy wasn't sure and she didn't want to find out, not with the fear gripping at her insides and her blood turning cold and _god, _she wouldn't be surprised if she wet herself. Her breath was erratic and Luffy tried to quiet down, to become as unnoticeable and paper thin as possible in the presence of these two beasts. Nothing worked though, because soon enough two pair of huge eyes (they were bigger than her!) settled on her tiny form and ah, she was wearing her favorite dress.

Everything would be ok, though, right? She had come up with theories about fate and destiny and whatever else and, in theory, at least she thought, she _shouldn't _die here. Because that would make the past seven years meaningless, not that they meant _much _for the world but still, Luffy wanted to hang onto that hope that she wouldn't die today, especially not because she was too lazy to wake up at dawn like Ace and go out with him.

She trembled as both beasts circled her and god, Luffy _really _didn't want to die. She had so much to do, so much to see and this world was so vast, so diverse. There were so many people she could protect and claim as hers, so many she could help and so many she could challenge. Dying here seemed a bit like a bad joke.

The tiger lunged and Luffy cried out, barely dodging out of the way of the claws. Seeing them _this _near made her feel even worse, because they were _so _big. She didn't like hurting animals but she didn't _want _to die.

For the first time in two months, Luffy lost control. The sky darkened over Dawn Island, black clouds covering the sun and loud thunders resounding loudly. Her eyes glowed red in the dark and her body was now that of a wolf, easily half the size of the tiger. She growled and let her canines show, ignoring the meowls of the beast before her and how she couldn't feel the bear anymore. It didn't matter, because all that counted now was living and Ace and Sabo and Makino and _oh_.

The smell of blood got her out of her confusion, her body quickly turning back to her human form. Luffy looked down at her dress, now shattered and bloodied and couldn't help but frown. She ignored the liquid staining her hands and face and trudged her way back to the bandits' house, not in the mood anymore to look for Ace.

She would have to ask Dadan for a new one.

* * *

Luffy was coming down the stairs with a big yawn when she heard those words. Dadan was obviously drunk and most-likely too out of it to realize that both the children that were objects of her complaints could have been in the same living space as her, but that didn't make things any better in Luffy's mind.

Luffy had always believed, even in the Before, that a drunk's words were sober words. Dadan herself might had forced herself to believe it, or might have overlooked it completely in favor of the affection she felt for at least Ace, but Luffy didn't care.

To Luffy there were nothing and no one in this world who should bring what was _hers _down. The people and the things that Luffy cared about enough to claim were special. When Luffy decided that someone was hers, it wasn't because she had a possessive streak going on or whatever else Matteus could have come up with months before, it was because _they _were so amazing, so naturally out-standing, that Luffy felt the need to protect them and treat them with care.

She had killed for Makino and she would do the same all over again for her Gramps, for Ace, for Sabo and Shanks. She didn't care if Dadan was insulting her too, calling her a monster in her own flesh or the devil's granddaughter (which was actually funny to her, because it was evident that the woman didn't know who her _father _was). All Luffy cared about were the heartless words the orange haired gorilla had directed at Ace.

With eyes as black as a moonless night and her canines strong and elongated, Luffy stepped under the light of the room. The bandits gasped but Luffy didn't care about how monstrous she looked, she didn't mind the insults coming at her, what Luffy couldn't stand was the idea that someone could think of Ace as anything less than a sweet, albeit rude, boy.

"Speak of _my _brother that way and I will personally tear you limb to limb."

Luffy slept in the jungle that night, ignorant of the pair of confused grey eyes that followed her until she disappeared from the landscape where the house was built.

* * *

Luffy teased Ace, enjoying the way his cheeks would warm up with a blush whenever she kissed his cheek or showed her affections freely. Luffy was surprised he still didn't get used to it, after almost a month of living together and pretty much half a year of knowing each other.

Sabo laughed on the side, the click of a camera going off as he took pictures of his flaming brother. Their Pirate Treasure Fund was doing pretty well, with Luffy's addiction of five million Beris to it. Shanks had gotten her her bounty (which was much less than it should have been because she had mauled the body) after she killed the bandit and Luffy didn't care much for money, she didn't need it while living in the Jungle with her favorite people.

She decided to give it to the boys and their treasure was now much richer. She didn't know if they had stolen from the bad guy, but no trouble was coming their way, so Luffy enjoyed their day a bit more and ignored the strange sense of danger pooling in her stomach.

"Have you guys ever heard of devil fruits?" she asked one day, sure that neither of her boys would consciously do anything to hurt her. It might have been only a month, but the both of them had been incredibly sweet with her until now, more often than not defending her (not that she needed it, as they would soon understand) from the biggest beasts of the jungle. Sabo nodded his head, his eyes glinting a bit in excitement and genuine curiosity, while Ace gave a shrug.  
"Aren't they just legends?" he replied, too busy biting at his alligator meat to give her his full attention. Luffy didn't really mind, she knew even her couldn't come between these boys and their meat. It was with a mix of disgust and disgruntle that she willed her eyes to change.

"Woah!" exclaimed Sabo, his hands suddenly too close for comfort as he tried to poke at her black eye. Luffy slapped his hand away and changed her sclera back to normal when she knew she had Ace's attention. _Took him long enough_.

"So," he said. "Not a legend."

Sabo gave a snort, now poking at her cheeks as if she was a lab rat. "Clearly."

* * *

_She hates the Government, she hates the Marines. She hates the nobles and the sticks they have so far up their asses that they can't even see the things they have and are supposed to cherish. Instead they throw their own family away, binding them to a life that stinks worse than the trash accumulated in the Grey Terminal. She hates those Celestial Dragons. She wants them all dead, dead dead dead, dead like Sabo might be and like so many other people are, all because of their spoiled whims and arrogance._

* * *

Luffy thought she was a jinx machine, because things just went from perfect to okay to bad to _fucking hell_.

Turns out the boys _had _stolen from the bad guy, whose name she couldn't remember for the hell of it, and had been busted right before her eyes. Well, not her _eyes eyes_ but she had been using her haki a little ways from them when she felt another presence, clearly stronger than the two of them, literally drag them away. Luffy was half tempted to beat her brothers until they were black and blue, but she had the feeling that whoever had taken them was doing it in her stead.

She cursed as she kept running towards their feeble presences and found herself in front of a shack, screams resounding all around. She was disgusted, that she couldn't hide. The people from the Grey Terminal were _hearing _her brothers screaming but no one was doing anything to help them. She decided that if there ever was the need, she wouldn't help them either.

She kicked the door down, anger seeping out of her pores.

_No one_ touched her brothers and no one would even try it again after today, not if she had any say in it. She ignored the loud screams and the way the blood on her hands burned, her eyes trained on the dangling, beaten up figures of Ace and Sabo.

A few heads rolled that day and Luffy couldn't find in herself to care.

* * *

Wow.

Luffy didn't like nobles, but she had to admit that High Town was the most beautiful place she had ever seen. It was colorful and extremely clean, full of nice looking shops and smelling of roses and… trash. Yeah, Luffy liked how it looked but the scent of the trash from the Gray Terminal arrived there too and, well, Luffy knew that trash belonged here anyways.

She looked around, dressed in one of her Marines dresses as Ace and Sabo were hidden under a black coat, a hat covering Ace's face from unsuspecting eyes. These people were so stupid. Sabo showed the nobles trade-mark crest to the owner of a restaurant and Luffy followed silently, hiding a grin.

They sat at the table for what seemed like hours, ordering bowls and bowls of ramen and as much Luffy liked eating, she had stopped after just two. She kept shoving hers in the boys' direction, grinning happily as they scarfed down ramen after ramen.

She laughed when they were busted and ran after her brothers, making sure to keep up with their pace and not leave them behind. Their distinctive giggles filled the streets of High Town, right until one of the stuck-up nobles called out Sabo's name.

Luffy barely gave time to her brother to answer and grabbed his hand, sending a hot glare at Ace who had stopped running. This was not the time for talking._  
_

* * *

_Ace sits next to her and he's clutching at a letter and Luffy hates herself even more, because she could have prevented it. If she had stopped thinking in the present for a second, if she had actually taken time to reorganize the slowly fading memories, she could still have her brother next to her. Instead, because of her, Ace has now lost his best friend, his brother. The first person to accept him for who he really is might be dead, deep in the sea and now reduced to fish food._

* * *

Luffy's lack of reaction to the news of Sabo being a noble didn't unsettle either of them, mostly because since her return from the Marine Headquarters Luffy had been able to school her expressions into blankness at the most absurd of times.

"Who?" she had asked together with Ace. She wasn't creeped out by the similarities in answer, mostly because she had come to the knowledge that both Ace and her could be as obtuse as their grandfather. Sabo had looked baffled at her and Luffy broke out in a grin soon after, dancing around him and giving him soft kisses on the cheek.

She didn't care if he was the son of a noble, because Sabo was a good person. His sense of freedom and justice overruled whatever misconception his biological parents had tried to ingrain in him, and so Sabo was okay and would always be.

He was her brother and he was hers. Ace laughed loudly when, for once, Sabo was the object of her loud kisses and hugs. They were a family and Luffy wouldn't have traded that for the world.

A day later, Luffy downed the sake like an expert and the boys decided that taking the bottle from her strong grip might have been the most absurd thing they had to do in the past six months. They dragged a drunk Luffy back to their room, all the while avoiding Dadan's angry glare.

If later that night Dadan was found hovering over the sleeping figure of a drunk, seven years old in a state of worry no one said anything.

Weeks later, Luffy was scolded by Makino because, apparently, a little bird (the three siblings snorted at that, because Dadan was anything but little) told her she had drained a bottle of sake pretty much on her own. Luffy had pouted and Ace had defended heatedly, even with the blush marrying his freckled cheeks when Makino stared at him for more than a few seconds.

A click! went off at that and Luffy decided she pretty much adored Sabo's new pastime.

* * *

"I'm the son of Gold Roger."

"I know."

"And you don't care?"

Luffy shook her head, the bored look still on her face. She didn't have to know of his past to understand that her brother was broken, years of mental abuse and his own self-hate turning him into a ticking time bomb. Luffy, however, was no therapist. She wasn't going to break it down gently, nor was she going to try and talk him into loving himself a bit more.

"Why?"

In the past two months, Luffy had learned that _words _didn't work on Mt. Corvo. Words were for people with brains and she was pretty sure that only Sabo and her had gray matter to spare on this part of the island, if not the whole of it. So Luffy gave in and let the demonic part of her take over, willing it to express her thoughts in the only way she _knew _Ace would listen and understand.

That night they stumbled back to the tree house, Ace's body leaning on Luffy's much healthier one. There were splotches of blood on his face and Luffy was pretty sure she had given him a black eye that would last at least two weeks, but the hug they had shared after their fight was enough for her not to feel guilty.

* * *

_Luffy doesn't answer when he calls out her name, she doesn't even register his words. She can feel her devil fruit taking control of her, but her heart is immersed in darkness and she doesn't know how to help it anymore. Her only though is that Sabo might be dead and it's all her fault, it's always her fault._

* * *

Everything happened so quickly.

Luffy sat silently, her neck bandaged and her eyes open wide, as she thought over the happenings of the past week.

Sabo had been abducted, or he went by his own choice, Luffy didn't really know, but he wasn't there with them anymore and there was a painful sting in Luffy's heart. She didn't expect anything like that to happen, she thought she would wake up next to her brothers and spend the day sparring with them, off-handedly beating their ass up with no commitment to it whatsoever like usual, and then the three of them would laugh and enjoy each other's presence.

Instead the smell of smoke and fire was still clinging to her green dress, her throat hurt like hell and the screams of the people she had inadvertently helped to kill. There was fire, so high and hot that Luffy thought it would melt her, and there was blood flowing from her throat, a no-name pirate digging his knife so deep into her that if it hadn't been for her half-assed use of armament she would be six feet deep already.

A blast of Conqueror from Ace, kicks shaking her entire body as she heaved, trying to breathe properly with the blood pooling under her body and the smoke filling her lungs, and was that Dadan?

Luffy thought she might have been hallucinating, because her chest was getting too heavy and her vision was getting spotty anyway. She couldn't hear her brother's yells and Dadan's cries as her eyelids fell close, but the constant feeling of something's not right accompanied her until she was asleep.

A day later, Luffy opened her eyes to the most heartbreaking news she had ever heard. Her brother wasn't there anymore and the still unconscious Ace had no idea that it was her fault. She found it ridiculous, how these memories didn't even graze her mind before that day. How she had lived months with no idea that her brother would die at sea at the tender age of ten. His dreams of freedom, revolution and justice dying with him, buried deep under the vast sea.

* * *

_"Luffy!" he yells and Luffy is shaken out of her thoughts, her brother glaring at her. He has that soft look in his eyes though, the one he reserves for her and her only, and Luffy's features turn back to normal. Her wolf hides back in and Luffy sniffles loudly, because it's so hard to look him in the eyes knowing what she knows. "Stop it already."_

_"I never told you, but I hate crybabies!" he huffs and Luffy chuckles weakly, because her foggy memories told her that that was supposed to be one of the first things he actually said to her. Luffy isn't a crybaby though and Ace knows it well. She doesn't want Ace to bury his own pain to try and make it better for her. She wants Ace to embrace it, just like she wants him to embrace life and actually live._

_"Ace, promise me something?" she whispers and her voice is so shaky that her brother flinches at the sound. Luffy pays him no mind, because she thinks she might start crying again if she focuses on his reactions more than she should. She thinks the guilt might become simply too much at that point._

_He nods at her and sits by her side, his bigger hand intertwining with hers. Luffy finds comfort in it, but she can't help but think that her right side feels a bit colder today._

_"Never give up on your life?" she ask, but doesn't give him time to answer. "I'm not telling you not to die, even if I'd feel better if you went and ate a fruit that made you immortal… Actually, I'll ask Jii-chan to search for it… yeah, I'll do that."_

_Ace groans and calls her name, his free hand slapping her forehead strongly. Luffy blinks at that. Ah, yeah. "Just… Live to the fullest?" Ace smiles and Luffy can see how broken he's actually feeling, but she still replies with one of her own. They make a strange couple, with snot running down their faces and red brimmed eyes, tear marks clear on their cheeks. Ace is bandaged too and Luffy can feel some blood seep into her very own, but she ignores it._

_"I promise… No regrets."_

* * *

**Funny story! This chapter went from around 2k words (as my chapters usually are) to over 5k in the bunch of a few weeks. I just kept coming back to it and adding things and I don't think you should expect something _this _long again from me. I'm just not good with long chapters, lol. Sorry if the chapters aren't posted as often as they were back in April, but I'm actually doing a complete reread of the manga and so it's hard to write about young Luffy when all I can think about is Enies Lobby. Yeah. Anyways, I'm sorry if it's not clear what her fruit is but I'm still thinking of a proper way to break it out. Plus, Luffy's pirate adventure will start in around two chapters so, yeah! Please review and tell me what you think, what your ideas are and if there are some things you might want to see! I appreciate all kinds of critics and it makes me happy too see you engage with the story! I hope you liked this chapter and I'll be back sometime towards the end of the month. Hope your quarantine is goin well enough, love u!**


	10. chapter 8

**Know Your Worth  
**_chapter 8_

* * *

Losing someone you care about is like losing a limb.

Ace has never thought that sentence to be truer like in this moment. Nightmares keep him awake more times than he would like to admit, the fear of losing Sabo all over again and the image of Luffy bleeding on the ground, with a wound slashing her throat open vividly scarring his thoughts. The first months without Sabo are hard and Ace and Luffy can't seem to fall back into their usual routine.

They try, hard at that too, but Ace knows that no matter how much she tries to act like she's fine, Luffy is in a condition as bad as his. There are times when they lie together under the stars, on the same patch of grass where they promised each other to live without regrets, just like Sabo attempted to, and stare silently at the night sky. Other times, Luffy's constantly overworked body manages to shut in on her and her eyelids close.

Ace is always there by her side, ready to shake her awake and hug her when tears start streaming down her face and painful cries tear at her throat. Ace _hates_ her throat. There's a scar there now and Luffy never covers it, almost flaunting it like a sign that she's still here, she survived. No one can hurt her as much as losing Sabo did.

Ace wishes he could do something for his sister. She constantly reminds him that him being there is enough, he sees the way her shoulder untense when she wakes up at night and she places a hand over his beating heart, almost to reassure herself that he's alive. Ace doesn't think he's doing anything, but if he is he wishes he could do _more_.

He wishes he could make Luffy sleep as soundly as she did when the siblings were still a trio, when they would come back from a hunt tired and dirty and they would fall asleep without even washing themselves. Luffy would wake up in the morning and grimace at their states, before grabbing them and shoving them at the back so that they could submerge themselves in the water of the wooden tank.

When Ace thinks Luffy is starting to get better, because her smiles are a bit less plastic and more heartfelt, and her eyes shine in affection and mirth again, the old geezer comes to visit. Ace has the scare of his life when he sees his sweet little sister flash away from right before his eyes, screaming in anguish. She's too fast for him and he's not understanding what's happening. He expects her to be in their grandfather's arms, hugging him as the man, who has always been more caring towards Luffy, comforts her but instead Luffy has some of her Fenrir's abilities on and is hitting her grandfather as ruthlessly as he has ever seen her.

"You didn't do nothing!" she screams and Ace doesn't understand, because what could the geezer do? Ace hates the noble that killed Sabo too, he hates Sabo's father and he wants to pry their lives from their bodies with his own hands, but he doesn't think his grandfather could have done anything to prevent this. It was Sabo's choice to set sail on that day and it wasn't in their grandfather hands to stop anyone from sailing his same waters, especially when the man that killed their brother wasn't a pirate.

Luffy doesn't seem to think along his same lines though and she continues to strike at the him. Ace stares as the old man stays still, taking the blows as if they're nothing. Ace notices that Luffy's fists and arms have blackened in that weird way that he has seen them do before, when a particularly big beast from the jungle posed a threat to them, but the claws from her wolf are there too and the geezer actually gets thrown a few feet.

Ace tries to stop her, but Luffy is relentless and her words take a while before they register in his mind. "It's all because of your government and your damn world nobles, why would I become a marine if it meant defending the bastards who killed my brother?" she yells as she punches him repeatedly and Ace flinches a bit when in his attempts to stop her he gets scratched too.

Luffy seems to stop at that and her huge, brown eyes gaze at him with _so much hurt _that Ace doesn't really know what to say. Her claws recede and her skin turns golden again and Ace doesn't need to hear her say it to know that she's sorry for scratching him. It's barely a graze and it doesn't even hurt, Ace is sure it'll be completely healed in a matter of days, but Luffy looks like what she accidentally did is worse to her than killing an unsuspecting child.

The geezer lays on the grass, big bruises already appearing on his uncovered skin and a long, deep scratch scarring his arm, but Ace pays him no mind as he gently rocks a weeping Luffy into tranquility.

Ace bites back the tears he can feel stinging at his eyes but a sob still shakes his shoulders. He sends a helpless look to the geezer, because for how much he doesn't like asking for help he knows they both need it right now.

Ace realizes that maybe healing might take a bit more time.

* * *

A growl tears at Luffy's throat as she grits her teeth, her demonic eyes focused on her Gramps. She tries to slash at him, but her claws only meet empty air when the marine boredly moves out of the way. It's annoying and absolutely infuriating, how he's not even _trying _to push her back. Luffy's emotions keep taking control over her and she tries to bite his arm. "Ouch!" she yells when she feels blood pooling in her mouth. Her teeth pierced her tongue and Luffy is sure she is a gruesome sight.

Ace sits on the side, eyes wide in fear for his little sister. They have been 'training' (and Ace is sure this isn't training, but more complete demolition on their grandfather's part) for a few hours now and Ace still hasn't gotten his chance. Apparently, this has been an everyday occurrence for his younger sibling and the geezer since the time he has taken her away.

Ace knows Luffy is stronger than him, thanks to both her devil fruit and the additional training she has got from the geezer, but he can't help his legs from staying still. The old man sends a punch towards Luffy's head, and Ace ignores how the arm is coated in black just like Luffy's sometimes are, and Ace's body moves before he can even think. He takes the punch in its full force, because apparently their grandfather doesn't know what holding back means, and he's sent flying through the trees.

He can vaguely hear Luffy's worried words, but all that's going through his head is that _it fucking hurts_. It hurts a lot and he's sure his head is bleeding, the old marine probably fractured his cranium. Ace is worried a bit about that, but his thoughts are too jumbled up together in a confusing mush to really take time and worry about his well-being.

He's just happy that he could protect Luffy.

* * *

"AAAAAH!"

Garp is yelling, Luffy is yelling and Dadan is yelling too, because one of her kids just came flying through one of the walls. The kids' training spot is more than half a mile from the house and Dadan is half-scared to even try and _wonder _how the oldest of her children could have tumbled inside her home.

She can vaguely see Luffy sprinting in their direction, her scary grandfather following at a much more leisured pace, and she's pretty sure she has just found the answer to the question she's too scared to voice. Luffy has big, fat tears in her dark eyes as she looks over her brother, all the while mumbling about _stupid marines _and yes, Dadan can't help but agree with the kid.

"Dadan!" she cries out, one of her hands tugging at the woman's big arm. Dadan's wide eyes move to the kid and she can feel something in her heart move, because the sight is too _cute _to ignore. "Heal him!" she demands and that bubble of sweetness is immediately popped, because if this brat so much as thinks she can command her around then she's wrong.

She's about to retort when Garp's panicked face comes into view, right next to the one of his granddaughter. "Dadan! Heal him!" he yells.

Dadan wonders for how long she'll have to deal with these weirdos for.

* * *

It's to the sunrays shining hotly over her and the sound of complete and still calm that Luffy wakes up. There's sweat wetting her neck and forehead and Luffy knows it's the consequence of a nightmare she has already forgotten. She sits still for a few seconds, processing everything that is going around her.

Then she screams.

The now twelve years old girl is sure she has gone to sleep in AceLu country, the little hut her brother and her have moved in just a few years ago. It's right in front of Dadan's house and while it was supposed to be only Ace's, Luffy had quickly put on her charms and convinced her brother on _not _leaving her alone. It's easier to sleep when her brother is next to her and no matter what sliver of independence he wanted, he's not getting rid of her.

Luffy however isn't wrapped around her brother's body anymore.

The dinghy she's on has enough rations to probably last her a week, if she tries and tones down her eating, and there's a duvet shoved near her feet, a yellow note plasted on it. Luffy doesn't need to read the paper to know that her crazy grandfather had something to do with this, but she still stretches to take it anyway.

She's not surprised by the content, she can almost hear the crazy laugh of the old man resonating in her ears. She can imagine him grinning while looking at the horizon of their home island, waiting to see how long it will take for her to come back unscathed.

His… extreme ways of training aren't anything new, both her and Ace have been thrown into ravines and punched to near-death way too many times in the past year to be surprised, but there's a strange feeling settling in Luffy's stomach. She knows why her Gramps did it, she _knows _it's not healthy. But being afar from Ace for more than a few hours makes her nervous.

Plus, this sea is too calm, too still, too quiet to be anything but abnormal.

And as if Luffy jinxed it, her dinghy starts sloshing thanks to the biggest wave Luffy has ever seen. Ah. Not a wave, a sea king.

Luffy stares boredly at the monster, the animal easily as big as half her island. There's no wind and now that she's properly awake she can feel the many voices littering the sea under her, the only sign of life present apart from herself. She doesn't want to voice her conclusion, because if her Gramps has seriously thrown her into the Calm Belt alone, with only a wooden dinghy to support her, she's going to hold the biggest grudge. Plus, it's the middle of the summer and her Gramps _knows _she can't stand hot temperatures because of her stupid devil fruit.

The sea king roars and Luffy doesn't pay it any mind, too absorbed in the scheming towards her Gramps. She's not going to talk to him for _months _after this crap, she swears. And she has to pay him back somehow, but how? Her Gramps, even after training under him for years, is pretty much untouchable.

Luffy can now dodge is punches and defend herself pretty well from him, but unless she uses her devil fruit she can't hurt him. And for all she's had years of practice, the immense strength power her fruit gave her _still _scares her a bit. She's okay with turning into a demonic black wolf, she has actually gotten quite a good hang of that, but controlling her strength is next to impossible.

"Will you stop that?!" she yells at the creature and the overgrown… thing actually stops. Luffy observes it for a while, its white and blue stripes and the many rows of huge teeth bared towards her. "Ah, you're done."

The beast nods and Luffy sighs, because what the hell? She doesn't know what's happening and she knows it has probably something to do with wills and whatnot, or maybe it's because if she wanted she could transform into a wolf as big as the sea king itself, but Luffy decides she's just going to go with the flow for now. That and she's hungry.

White pointy teeth glint under the strong sunlight and her irises glow red, the sclera of her eyes turning completely back. "Well, hello breakfast."

* * *

"You shitty geezer! She's a devil fruit user!"

Ace is yelling at his grandfather, black hair disheveled as he runs his hands over it all over again. They have been having the same discussion for the past three days, when Ace woke up without his sister trying to suffocate him in his sleep. While, on the rare occasion, Luffy wakes up earlier than him, Ace knew on that morning that something was wrong.

Maybe it was because there was a grinning gorilla of a man standing by him, a proud look on his face.

Ace knows the marine is extreme in his ways, hell, he thinks he has _actually _seen the light more than a hundred times in the past years, but this is on some other level. Luffy is a devil fruit user, it could take as little as a misplaced wave for her to meet her death. Ace has faith in Luffy, he has seen her fight and hold her own with their grandfather, something that even he can't do yet, but Luffy and water don't mix in well. Especially Luffy and water without him being there.

Ace is actually scared he's going to lose his little sister all because their grandfather was dropped several times when he was a baby. The geezer, for all he claims he's doing this for training them to be marines, seems to be doing the exact opposite.

"Look Ace, your sister is back!" he laughs and Ace's head turns so quickly he thinks he might have broken something in his neck. He ignores the pain for the moment and focuses on the little dinghy slowly making its way towards the coast.

Ace has long since gotten used to the sight of Luffy covered in blood, but he still grimaces when he sees her climbing out. Her entire face is covered in dried crimson and Ace just knows she has went and eaten something raw once again. Ever since she started getting more in tune with her devil fruit, she developed a concerning liking for raw meat. If Ace gives it to her with a cup of cucumbers on the side, a black tail would appear and wag its way back and forth.

"Jii-chan! That was a crap move!" is the first thing she yells when she sees them and Ace can't help but punch the geezer's head with a blackened fist when he laughs again.

* * *

"Wow Ace, you suck at drawing."

Ace glares at his sister, but Luffy shamelessly grins at him from her spot on the stool. Makino has closed the bar for Ace's seventeen birthday, claiming that it's a special day that needs a special celebration. Ace doesn't think it's that special, but he could never deny anything to the woman who has taken care of Luffy for half his little sister's life.

"Ace-kun, that's really good," smiles sweetly Makino, passing a glass of alcohol towards him. Ace smiles back, but the tug of his lips grows bigger at the woman's next words. "Luffy is only embarrassed to admit she's going to miss you!"

Ace's eyes shine with amusement when he hears her sister's growl, but he's glad to see that she still hasn't moved from her original position. After all, she's the one who gave him the damned art book. "I'm not!"

Ace tilts his head, a teasing smile coloring his face. He can see Luffy's red cheeks and the way her eyes flash black for a second and it's almost impossible to contain his laughter and affection for the girl. Almost. "You're not embarrassed to admit it?" he asks and Luffy blushes some more, this time moving from her stool.

Ace laughs loudly when she downs his glass of rum in one take under the scolding eyes of Makino, too used to the tendencies of his little sister. "Luffy! You're too young to drink that," yells the older woman and Luffy gives her a look. It's quick, but Luffy opens the bottle cap with only her thumb and slowly starts to drink from it, still staring Makino in the eye.

The two start fighting and Ace chuckles to himself. He's sure he's going to miss her too.

* * *

The waves crash over the sand in Foosha and Luffy feels like the sea is calling for her, like her time has finally arrived. It's not though, because it's still too soon and she has still two years left in the island. She sits silently, her shoulders relaxed and her eyes closed as she enjoys the touch of the mid spring sunrays on her skin.

It's her fifteenth birthday and her Gramps is coming back to visit. His stays have been more sporadic and shorter as she grew up, but there's no way he's missing two of her birthdays in a row. He takes pride in that and Luffy doesn't bother to correct him, that she appreciates his visits even if it's not her birthday and without one of his marine themed gifts. After all, the many uniform and dresses she has been collecting may be useful someday.

Luffy feels a bit like a cat today, with her toes buried in the sand and her lids closing sleepily, the warmth just enough to make her feel comfortable. Luffy misses Ace and it's been more than a year since she has last seen him, but his new bounty came in and it seems like now he's sporting a new tattoo. A huge purple cross, completed with skull and white mustache.

It's a bit ironic, how the son of the late Pirate King became the adopted son of said King's rival, but Luffy tries not to ponder much on Ace's worries. She pities his new captain a bit, remembering just how much of a brat Ace had been when he was younger. A mere relation to the late King can tick him off and Luffy knows it all too well, considering the many fights they had on the matter. She would have to meet the man soon and ask him for forgiveness for her hard headed brother, of that she's sure.

"Don't you look like a good little marine in training!" bellows a voice she knows all too well and Luffy can't hide the smile from her face. It's a bit strained, because thoughts of her brother always make her heart a bit heavier with longing, but Luffy still manages to make it look real. Her Gramps hasn't changed into his vacation outfit and that maybe is Luffy's first red flag, a sign that maybe not everything is as good as she supposed it was.

"You heard 'bout Ace?" she asks, a taunting smirk on her lips. Her overgrown Gramps sighs and sits beside her, quickly scavenging his way into his coat for a packet of rice crackers. He offers her some and Luffy doesn't even bother to voice her refusal, knowing it's more to put on a false show of courtesy than anything else. "That brat has really done it now," he grumbles and Luffy can't help but feel sorry for her Gramps.

It must be hard on him, to see so many of his people, his family, turn their back to his beliefs. Luffy doesn't think he's really mad about it, nor is he disappointed; she knows he's proud of Ace, for going out to sea and following his dream. Luffy is proud too, she just didn't think Ace had finally found his real dream until the latest news that made the newspapers. She figures he's proud of her supposed father too, even if he's now officially labelled as the most dangerous man of the world and is acting against the same thing the Marines work under. He's doing it for his own beliefs, for the greatest good and Luffy is sure her Gramps knows it and appreciates it, in his own way.

She wonders if he'll be proud of her, when she will be known as the King of the seas.

"Jii-chan," she starts and her voice is light, but her heart is heavy with wonder and so much fear. "Why did you decide to train me properly?"

Her Gramps sends a smile her way and Luffy can see that while it's a bit sad, a bit defeated, his eyes are still shining with the incredulous amounts of affection and pride he has shown for her over the past fifteen years. Luffy really hopes his eyes won't change, that his love for her will always stay the same. She doesn't want to feel that wrenching pain all over again, the agony of losing something so precious to you. It broke her once and Luffy doesn't want to undergo it again.

"Luffy," his hand meets her head, softly ruffling her long black hair. Luffy leans into it, not a ounce of shame in her action. "Before that damned brat came here, you didn't have a dream." He says and Luffy doesn't really get it. Was it really like that? It's been so long she can't remember, her first years of this life all messed up. "Then that pirate came to Foosha and next thing I know, your eyes are shining and you're yapping about being not a pirate, but the King of all pirates."

Luffy can see the hurt behind his eyes and she wonders slightly if she could let it all go, for him. The answer is easy and her heart cracks up a bit, but she knows she can't. She knows that he wouldn't appreciate it either, anyways, to see her confined somewhere she doesn't belong, somewhere she hates. "You know, we'll be enemies out there," he continues and Luffy can't help the sadness from filling her veins, because does she really have to go against her Gramps to be free? But then he laughs, that loud sound that Luffy has always loved, and she knows that it doesn't matter. "I can't let my little granddaughter go around untrained! Not when she's aiming for the top, not when I know who her enemies will be!"

Luffy sends him a loving smile and understands that yes, her Gramps will be proud of her. She'll be the freest, she'll show the world who she really is and in the mean time, she'll be sure to free the world too. Free it of the shackles the government has given it, free it of the many prejudices and the bad people that walk it.

And if she has to fight her Gramps along the way, she knows he won't hold it over her.

* * *

It's the day before her birthday and Luffy knows she can't leave the island like this. She wouldn't be satisfied, she wouldn't feel like she has actually lived her first seventeen years of existence without regrets. And so she wears her nicest dress, the soft pastel tones making her look like a mere child. It's easy to slip past the guards at the gate of Edge Town and those from High Town let her pass after giving her a long look.

Luffy decides she's going to hurt them a bit on her way out, but there's something else she needs to do first and so she sends a plastic smile their way. Her steps are light and leveled over the clean streets, but her steely eyes are set straight to the castle.

Luffy isn't really big on the News Coo, not with the information being filtered to certain Seas and the truth being covered, but the revelation of Goa's new king made a fire burn in her that she thought had simmered down after the first few months of Sabo's death. It was easy to recognize the new king as the snotty brat who was supposedly adopted by her brother's blood relatives and it was even easier to come to the decision that no matter what she would make sure he suffers a bit before she sails away.

She ignores the strange architecture and the colorful walls, her hat shadowing her eyes and her steps becoming more silent as she nears the throne room. Sterry sits there, an ugly crown on his head and even uglier features making up his face and Luffy is glad she can still reign in her anger.

"Who are you?" he screams and Luffy has to hide a finch at the shrill of his voice, her ears too sensitive for sounds of _that _level. She smiles gently and nears him, making sure he's going to remember her face. She wants to be his worst nightmare, she wants him to know that if he ever does _anything _to hurt someone dear to her, she will come back all the way to make him pay. She notices the Surveillance Den Den Mushi on the wall and makes sure to look pretty, rosy cheeks tightening and plump lips parting in a big grin.

"I'm Monkey D. Luffy, Pirate King."

Sterry looks at her like she's crazy and she thinks she might be, but she knows she's still a better person than anyone living in High Town. The crack of his skull resounds in the silent room and seconds later guards are running in, loud shouts and weapons pointed at her.

Luffy stares at the man, no, _boy_, laying on the floor, blood slowly pooling under him and gives in with a sigh. She didn't even use her devil fruit strength. He'll live and so Luffy turns around and, with a perfectly executed bow, disappears from the castle. The broken body of King Sterry and a soft whisper of "_Weak_" the only sign she has ever been in.

* * *

Luffy doesn't like sappy goodbyes. When it was time for Ace to leave, just two days after his seventeenth birthday, she made sure to say her goodbyes in the most Luffy-like way possible. By drenching him in rum, giving him a black eye and making him promise to see each other again in three years. The _sappiest _she did on that day was kissing his cheek, before kicking his boat away from the shore of Foosha village, eager for him to start his adventures.

It's no wonder then that Luffy left for her own adventure in the middle of the night. She's officially seventeen, the age where she can finally go and be a pirate, be free of any law and restriction other people try to put on her. The sky is dark at night and the moon is almost completely absent, making this even more dangerous for the normal person.

Luffy is no normal person though and so she easily navigates her way towards Shells Town, her normally dark as night eyes glowing red. Five wanted posters lay on the dinghy's wood, distinctive faces and monikers printed boldly.

She closes her eyes and waits for the day to make its arrival in complete silence, enjoying her first few moments of complete freedom.

* * *

**Ok so another long chapter. This was originally mostly chapter 8 and a part of chapter 9, but i decided to just . mush them together. Also, the Sterry thing I had thought about days before writing it and as I was editing the chapter I was all like ohhh I have to write that. Too bad I forgot how I had it thought and so u have something crappy there 3 Hope you liked this chapter, at least a teensy bit, and Luffy is _finally _heading out to sea. On another note, I'm rereading the manga and I'm regretting my existence :) See u soon, please _please please _review.**


	11. READ THIS

**ANNOUNCEMENT**

I have decided to archive this story for the time being; it's been way too long since I've worked on it and as I found myself trying to write a few new chapters, I realized I didn't like where this was going and how I structured it until now. I'm sorry to the readers who have followed and favourited it up until now and extremely grateful for all the support you've given me in the past year. I plan on restarting it, however, and I'm already working on organizing its new structure.  
This regards two of my chaptered stories: _Circles_ and_ Know Your Worth_. The first is a Naruto fanfiction, Sakura-centric and will probably be the quickest to get out once again, as there are few changes that I want to make. Know Your Worth, instead, will come out at a much slower pace.

I'm sorry again and thank you all for supporting until now. Also, if you're interested, look out for _Sandcastles_.  
Thank you so much again, see you soon! :)


End file.
